Summer Sessions
by coldplaywhore
Summary: After graduating high school Bella Swan spends the summer getting to know Edward Cullen, the brooding older brother of her best friend Alice. They both start to wonder how things will progress when they head to college together in the fall.
1. Chapter 1

****I do not own the rights to Twilight or its characters, but I do own this attempt at fan fiction. Thank you - the management ****

**FYI to readers, there will be no Jacob. Sorry. I'm Team Edward!**

**Bella POV**

_**This is stupid**._ I thought to myself as I wandered around Newton's Olympic Outfitters while my best friend, Alice Cullen, threw various camping gear in my general direction and into our shopping cart.

"I can't believe you don't own a sleeping bag Bella, or any camping gear. We practically live in the wilderness." She huffed as she kept tossing items into our cart, but she was right; we did live in the wilderness of Forks, Washington. We live in a VERY small town in the upper northwest of the state, on the outside of the Olympic National Park. Some days it was more common to see a deer cross my front lawn than a neighbor. There wasn't much around, no major malls, no major highways, and no major excitement. This end of year camping trip which Alice was meticulously planning was the most excitement in the past 4 months.

We were heading to Pacific Beach State Park for four days and three nights of camping with a big group of friends from school. Sure, it would be fun, in an end of high-school kind of way, but it would also be excruciating because I can hardly walk on a flat surface, let alone the uneven ground of a campsite covered in rocks, twigs and god knows what else. I shuddered to think of all the flora and fauna I would have to endure because of this trip. Thanks to Alice's extreme excitement, I figured the easiest thing to do was get this over with before I headed to the University of Washington in a few months. I didn't need to face the wrath of Alice Cullen all summer long.

"Here Bella, go try on this bathing suit?" asked Alice, although it was less of a request and more of a demand. I held up the small bikini and wondered what the hell she was thinking. It was barely two pieces of blue fabric being held together by string. I couldn't believe she thought I would wear this.

"Alice, you can't be serious?" I exclaimed, and then she looked at me as though I had just broken her heart. "It's the Pacific, and it's salt water" I remarked again hoping she would catch on that it would be a bit cold for a bikini.

"Bella, you can just wear it on the beach while we get some sun. Would it kill you? Pretty please…." Alice looked at me with such a big smile; I just put my head down in defeat and stormed into the changing room.

After an hour of trying on various clothes and selecting various gear, Alice ensured me that we had everything we needed. We paid for our purchases and then with the help of Mike Newton, took all our gear out to my old truck. Ah, my trusty old truck. Alice was not a fan but she didn't want to bring her Porsche because she didn't think there would be enough room in the truck for all of our gear. Too bad she spent the entire drive town complaining about the speed, or lack thereof, that my truck went at. It had been a gift from Charlie when I first moved to town last fall. I think he felt awful that I was being uprooted from Phoenix after my mom died, and was required to come live with him by the good folks in the Arizona Court System. He was my dad after all but we hadn't spent much time together in the past few years. We used to spend time together in the summer, but the older I got, the less fun it became, until it eventually went away completely. I always regretted losing touch with him and thought of my moving in with him as a second chance.

I dropped Alice off at her house and noticed two unknown cars in the driveway. My first thought was that Carlisle, her dad, was having colleagues over from the hospital again. Every now and then he brought some of the doctors over for a poker game. On those nights, Alice was usually at my house trying to curl my hair or making me listen to some generic pop band. The more I noticed the cars, the less likely I thought they were Carlisle's friends. One of the vehicles was a gigantic Jeep outfitted with some huge obnoxious lights on top, someone obviously liked off-roading, and the second was a sleek silver Volvo. "My brother's are home for the summer" Alice noted casually. She grabbed her items from the back of my truck and I waved at her, agreeing to meet her tomorrow morning for our trip.

I hadn't had the chance to meet anyone in Alice's family, with the exception of her parents, Esme & Carlisle. She had 2 older brothers, Emmett & Edward, but they had left for college before I moved to Forks last September. As I went to pull out of the driveway, I saw the front door open and one of her brother's join her on the front porch. He didn't look much older than me, maybe a year or two but even from a distance you could tell he was strikingly handsome. He held his hands out to help Alice with her packages and then went inside the house behind her.

I didn't think much more of the exchange until Alice called later that night. She had convinced 20 of our friends to come camping, which was located a few hours south of Forks. There were campgrounds a lot closer to home, but Alice wanted to be as far from the watchful eyes of our parents as possible and I agreed wholeheartedly. After all, it wouldn't be much fun if my father, the police chief, was called to a disturbance at the local campground and I was involved. I wouldn't hear the end of my idiocy for a week, at least!

Alice was calling to complain that her brothers wanted to come camping with us, and she was worried how they would react to her and her steady boyfriend, Jasper. You'd probably call them more then "steady" though. Jasper had moved to Forks around the same time as me, with his parents and twin sister Rosalie. Edward and Emmett had only met Jasper once, and completely lived up to the hype of the "over-protective" big brothers. Alice told me Jasper was scared to even touch her hand for 2 straight weeks after they met.

"I don't want them to join us, Bella, they will be so defensive, I won't get to enjoy myself and all this will be for nothing." She screeched into my cell phone. I tried my best to reassure her that they would be sufficiently bored with the high-school outing and would probably head home early when they realized how harmless the camping was going to be.

"Jasper and I won't be able to get the '_privacy'_ I intended Bella," she moaned unhappily. I knew her and Jasper had yet to have sex because she kept insisting they were waiting for the right moment, but as my history can attest to, _when is the right moment?_ I think she thought that camping would be the right moment, but I hated to inform her that doing it against a rough tree or on the bumpy dirt wasn't as exciting as she made it out to be. Interesting certainly, but not romantic.

Alice laughed my jokes off and went back to fretting about her brothers.

"Alice, think positively, maybe some of the other girls attending could distract your brother's enough so that you can jump Jasper's bones" I laughed.

"Well, Emmett did express a little interest in Rosalie when she was over yesterday, maybe I can…." she stopped talking, obviously too wrapped up in her own thoughts to verbalize anything. "Too bad Edward is moodier than Emmett. Maybe it won't be so bad after all" she commented.

After thanking me for calming her down, she commented that we would meet at her place at 9 the next morning.

"You are not bringing your old beast of a truck" she wailed. "We'll never get to the campground before sunset if we have to drive that."

I had to agree with her, it was a bit slow, but it was mine I thought over protectively. She then informed me we would be taking her brother's cars and there would be plenty of room for all of our stuff, even without the huge space in the back of my pickup. Ah… Packing, right, I needed to get that done. I just needed to bring some food and all the stuff we bought earlier that day, plus some actually comfortable clothes. Maybe a book or two I pondered as I filled my large duffle bag. Ok... three books. After all, lying on the beach won't be that exciting.

The next morning, I said my goodbyes to Charlie. He insisted on making me listen to him explain the proper way to light a propane camp stove, even though I knew full well that I wouldn't be the one doing it. After the 10 minute lecture I finally made my way over to Alice's. I had Coldplay blaring from my truck as I pulled in the Cullen's driveway. I hoped no one could hear me singing along.

Alice was standing outside with her brothers, loading the Jeep and Volvo with as much gear as possible. I watched in awe as I saw her brother Emmett lift a keg into the back of his truck with ease. I jumped out of my truck and went to grab my bags, when I felt someone standing behind me.

"Coldplay huh?" he asked casually. I looked into his deep green eyes and was kind of mortified for a moment, clearly horrified that I had been heard.

"Uh yeah…" I stammered as I stared from his eyes to his lightly bronzed hair. "Alice calls me a Coldplay whore because of how much I love their music. Are you a fan?" He nodded his head indifferently and grabbed my duffle bag from my hand.

"I'm Edward, by the way. I'm assuming you're Bella?" He commented quizzically as he walked over to his trunk and put my first bag into it.

"Yeah, Bella Swan" I explained as I reached into the bed of my pickup for the rest of my bags. I felt him behind me, reaching in with me to grab my sleeping bag and other items I had packed. It was probably just my mind playing tricks on me, but when I felt him behind me, I could have sworn there was a small shock between us.

"Just static electricity" I mumbled quietly as I grasped my last bag and tossed it onto the ground. Apparently I had mumbled that louder than I expected as he gave me a puzzled look as we loaded the last of my bags into the trunk. _Fuck_, I thought to myself. _This is going to be a long 4 days._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Note: Ok, here's my second chapter. I hope someone finds it interesting.  LOL. Feel free to review if you have the time. I hope to have the next 3 chapters up shortly, as they have already been started.**

****I do not own the rights to Twilight or its characters, but I do own this attempt at fan fiction. Thank you - the management ****

**Edward POV**

Bella gave off this odd look on her face after she mumbled something about static electricity, but it was so fucking appealing. I just shot her a puzzled look and went to join Alice and Emmett as they finished loading up the Jeep.

None of us was old enough to buy alcohol, but while at university Emmett had taken it upon himself to get a decent looking fake ID. Sure his new name was "Amir Smith", which was a little too ethnic sounding for such a big, broad-shouldered guy like Emmett, but it seemed to work.

After Alice got back from buying almost everything camping related at Newtons, Emmett asked her if we could join her on her trip. I had no idea how I had gotten roped into this mess, but Alice started fucking freaking out, insisting we would ruin the weekend and none of her friends would want us to come. Emmett was desperate to talk to Rosalie Hale after he met her a few days ago and since she was going camping too, he thought it was the perfect opportunity. He would have 4 days to try to "_work his magic on her"_ or so he claimed. I had seen Emmett at parties while we were at UW, there was no magic to speak of.

At around dinner time, Alice finally relented and agreed to let us come, if Emmett would buy a keg for the gang. Of course Emmett was game. Anything to get closer to Rosalie. Of course, we had hidden the beer carefully from the prying eyes of our parents until they left for work this morning.

After everything was all packed tightly there was no way that anyone could ride with Emmett in his Jeep so Alice and Bella would ride with me in the comfort of the Volvo. That was fine with me, the less shit in my fucking car, the more content I was.

It was supposed to be a 2 hour drive to Pacific Beach where the campground was located, but I knew based on my superior driving skills we would be there in no time. I was always very cocky about my driving skills, even though Alice always said I sped like I was on a fucking death mission. As we drove along the US 101, Alice happily glanced at Bella in the back seat, as if to reassure her of the speed at which we were travelling. I guess Alice was adjusting to my driving herself.

The beginning of the ride was pretty quiet, with Alice and me exchanging conversations about university and family life. I could tell Bella felt out of place in our intimate conversations and glanced as she turned on her iPod. _Probably Coldplay_ I thought to myself. From my rearview mirror I could see that she had her eyes closed and was casually mouthing the words to herself.

_Let me in… unlock the door… I never felt this way before _went the lyrics as they came soundlessly from her mouth. I should have been paying closer attention to the road, but I was somehow drawn to the attractive, long haired brunette in my backseat. Alice was staring out the window watching the trees go by as I reached down for my iPod and changed the song playing in the car. If I was reading her lips right, she was listening to "Till Kingdom Come." So I hunted through my music until it was on.

I tried to pay full attention to the road, but I saw Bella's sweet brown eyes open and her head snap up as I put the song on. I chuckled quietly to myself as Alice looked over at me. She was clearly unimpressed that I changed what she had been listening to.

"It's my fucking car Alice. I'll listen to what I want." I muttered angrily. Bella smiled in the backseat as she removed her headphones and starting listening to the car stereo. We both knew Alice wasn't a big fan of the music and this was a disappointment to her, but neither of us cared.

It was just after 11am as we pulled into our campsite, with Emmett's big Jeep right behind us. We made even better time on the drive considering we didn't leave till almost 10 am. Alice had reserved 6 large campsites all surrounding one another. There was a big fir pit in the middle, and the outskirts of the sites were laden with big trees to provide some privacy. I wonder if she had visited the campground before reserving to find the best site. I'll give it to the girl, she had thought of everything.

We were the first to arrive and got to choose the best locations to put our tents. Bella, Rosalie & Alice were all supposed to stay in one tent, while Emmett and I were in another. Jasper didn't really want to stay with us after our initial meeting last year. Apparently he thought Emmett and I were being a little overprotective when we told him to "_never lay a fucking hand on our sister." _We had done it jokingly, but I guess Jasper didn't see it that way. Maybe this weekend I will try to become a little friendlier with him. _Maybe._

After Emmett and I had our tent up and in a great spot, we watched in awe as Alice & Bella fumbled to put theirs up. They had made a valiant effort, I thought sarcastically, but their tent was so fucking huge, it would have been difficult for less than 4 people to put it up properly. Alice had spent over $300 on a tent with two rooms that she would probably never use again after this weekend. It probably came with heating and indoor plumbing I laughed to myself as I went over to help them.

"Edward, how nice of you to join us" snarled Alice as she attempted to pull two of the rods together and instead fell into the tent, which was still lying on the ground.

"Sorry Alice, it was just too funny watching you two try to put this thing up" I said as I reached over to help her up. Emmett , being the only one tall enough to hold this monstrosity up, stepped into the tent and held up the middle, while Bella, Alice and I all managed to get the poles together in the right position. Once it was in the perfect location according to Alice, Bella and I went around the entire tent to hammer all the tent stakes were securely in the ground.

As I turned back towards the Volvo to start unloading my bags, I noticed Bella stumble over one of the stake and fall forward, onto her knees and into the hard ground. I laughed a little in my head and then decided to try my best to be a gentleman and help her up. As I offered my hand, she took it very cautiously and then I felt a small spark between us. _Fucking Static Electricity_ I mumbled to myself.

**Bella POV**

I felt like such an idiot when I fell over the tent stake, but no more than when Edward turned Coldplay on in the car, to the exact song I was listening to on my iPod. I was certain he could see me mouthing the words in the backseat and did it on purpose.

"Thanks," I said as he helped me get up from the ground. I heard him mumble something incoherently as I went to his car to fetch my duffle bag from the trunk. Alice was busy greeting the new carload of campers who had just arrived, as I put my bag into our HUGE tent and organized my sleeping bag and pillow. Alice had a love of all things luxurious, and this tent did not disappoint. It had two rooms, one for sleeping and one for all of our bags, coolers etc…

"JASPER" Alice screeched from the top of the picnic table she was sitting on when his SUV finally pulled in two hours later. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck as I got out of our tent. I glanced over at Edward and he flinched a bit to see his sister showing such emotion to her boyfriend. He then grabbed his iPod and wandered down the road, claiming to Emmett that he was checking out the park.

Rosalie sauntered over with her bag and I showed her where everything went in the tent as she set her bed up as best she could. Once she was done, Emmett came over and struck up a conversation with us. Well, her mainly. As nice as Emmett was, at this instance he could care less what I was interested in.

As he and Rosalie settled into easy conversation, I saw two more cars show up with classmates from school and they began setting up their tents and gear. It was almost 2pm when I noticed Edward was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Alice, Edward has been gone for a while don't you think?" I casually mentioned to her as she sat on the picnic table messing with Jasper's hair.

"Not really. He's happier when he's alone. I'm surprised he ended up coming with us at all" she stated. I told her I was going to go find the bathroom and wandered away from the campsite, wondering where he had gotten to.

He had been in my thoughts all throughout the day and I had no idea why. I knew nothing about him except that he drove a Volvo, was Alice's older brother (by one year, she kept reminding me) and that he had Coldplay on his iPod. I also knew that every time I touched him, I felt a small spark. _I'm sure it's nothing_ I mumbled to myself as I kept walking.

About 5 minutes later I found Edward sitting on a swing in a really depressing playground. Honestly, it's a state park; they could afford more than a laughable rusty metal slide and a set of 2 crappy swings. I thought if anyone went anywhere near the slide they would definitely need a tetanus shot. I walked over to him quietly, not wanting to disturb him, but concerned whether he was okay. I don't know why I was anxious, but I didn't have long to analyze it, as he turned his face around and patted the swing beside him, signaling me to join him.

"I can see you enjoy camping," I muttered sarcastically as I sat on the swing beside him. I kicked my legs up slowly to get the swing moving, even though he was sitting still.

"It's not really my thing," he started as he watched my swing carelessly. "Emmett convinced me to come so that I could be his 'wingman' as he tried to hook up with Jasper's sister. I'm staying now because you are here."

I was caught a little bit off-guard by that comment and slowed the swing to a complete stop with my feet. I looked over at him and he was staring at me with his deep green eyes. Wow. He was even more attractive this close up than he was when I saw him earlier this morning. I was trying to figure a response for him, but my mind was drawing a complete blank. I am never a verbal mute like this. _Fuck_.

"That's flattering," I finally managed to say after a few awkward moments. "So what are you listening to anyways?" I asked as I pointed to his iPod.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Another update. I don't have a BETA (any offers??) so I am doing the editing myself using my sadly underused journalism degree and copy editing experience. They're a little rusty, so be gentle if there are grammatical errors. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

Bella and I swung aimlessly on the swing for a few hours discussing our tastes in music (hers is a little off-beat, but enjoyable) and books (she likes romantic classics, not my style really.) She was very easy to talk to, almost too easy. Even when I kept cursing, something Alice always yelled at me for, she just brushed it off it was standard vocabulary, even though I never heard her swear once.

When I told her I was staying because of her, I was surprised by her reaction. It wasn't one of total horror, but she seemed pleased that I had shown an interest. Either that or she was a fucking idiot, like a lot of the girls camping this weekend, and she couldn't actually put a sentence together. Once we started talking more about ourselves, I could easily see it was the first. She was interested.

"So what college are you heading to in the fall?" I asked curiously.

"UW in Seattle. I'm gonna be taking comparative literature. Tough classes, but I think I can handle it. Didn't Alice mention that we thinking about getting an apartment together?" She asked as she ran her hands through her luscious brown hair.

"Nope, not yet. Then again, I've only been home from UW for a few days before this trip came up. We haven't had a lot of time to talk about it. I'm going into my second year of music there" I explained. Bella seemed honestly shocked when I told her about my major.

"You didn't fucking think Alice or Emmett played that big piano in our living room did you?" I asked. She shook her head and began swinging even harder on the swing using her legs to get as high as possible.

"Need a push?" I asked curiously. "You'd get a lot higher." I was surprised when she agreed, but then stuffed my iPod in the pocket of my jeans and moved behind her so that I could give her a big shove into the air. Each time I touched her, to push her harder, I felt that spark.

She started laughing, in this endearing way that I had noticed about her in the past few hours. When she went to slow herself down with her feet, I grabbed the chains holding the swing up and slowed her down. Her cheeks were bright pink from laughing and she was blushing so hard.

When the swing had stopped completely, Bella turned her head back to look at me, as I stood over her, still holding onto the chains of the swing. She looked so cute sitting there and her lips so tempting, that I leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss, sucking onto her bottom lip with enthusiasm. _Fucking Spark_, I thought to myself. She started to breathe a little harder and I was about to give her a deeper kiss, when we heard some footsteps approach behind us. _Someone has the worst fucking timing._

**Bella POV**

I think I was a little surprised when he leaned down and kissed me as gently as he did. His eyes were open the entire time, and it felt like he was staring right through me as his lips found mine. All of a sudden he pulled away from me at the sound of nearing footsteps.

"Hey Edward. Hey Bella" I heard Alice chirp as she sauntered over with Jasper on her arm. "We're going to get dinner ready, care to help Bella?" she asked casually, clearly not having seen her brother kiss me. Alice was not one to hide her feelings. If she had seen anything at all, she would have said something immediately.

"Sure," I said as I followed her and Jasper down the trail and back to the campground. I turned around and noticed he wasn't coming with us. I felt a twinge of disappointment and wasn't sure why. It had been a nice kiss, nothing earth shattering, although there was a little spark again. _No more over-analyzing Bella Swan_, I told myself.

"I'll be right there," he finally called after a few moments of me staring him down. I wondered why he would want to stay there. After the entire day, he must be hungry, I know I was starving. I turned back to Alice and walked back to our campsite, confident that he would be following.

A few moments after we got back to camp, Emmett and Jasper started setting up the small propane stove which Alice had bought.

"Seriously dude, you need to screw the propane tank on here, the instructions even say so," snapped Emmett as Jasper struggled with the stove. After a few more minutes of hilarity and a lot of swearing from Emmett, Rosalie managed to get the entire camp stove put together and lit. Edward strolled back into the campsite by this time and was chuckling at the scene before him. I glanced at him quickly and went to work making dinner.

I was the best cook out of all of us, so Alice had me make the hot dogs. Nothing fancy, just camp food. I wished to myself that I had baked some snacks or treats, something to show Edward that I could cook, not just heat up hot dogs. Then again, this attraction was very unexpected, so I had to go with it.

Alice had insisted that everyone be responsible for their own food and drink during the trip, which was why I only had to cook for a few people, not 22. When she first mentioned me cooking, I was visually stabbing her with daggers, until she noted that I only had to cook for her, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Edward and me. I could handle that.

As I sat at the picnic table with the group, Edward at the far end on the other side of the table, I tried to think if I had any ingredients to bake something while we were here. Something to impress him. C_ookies, Brownies, Steak, Chicken Cordon Blue, anything… I thought._ He didn't seem impressed by my reading choices, music or college major, but he could be impressed by my cooking.

"Fuck, Nothing" I said out loud, shocking the guests at our table, as I realized I had absolutely nothing I could amaze him with. Alice frowned at me for my swearing and Edward gave me a big smile which covered his whole face. It was gorgeous. I blushed and turned away immediately, reminding myself to use my inner monologue once in a while. I could hear him laughing low under his breath and went back to trying to eat my hot dog.

A few hours later, after night had fallen, we were listening happily to the loud music Alice had brought as people milled around the fire pit and hung out. It was a very casual night, with various conversations surrounding the end of our school year and moving onto our various colleges in the fall. Very few people were drinking as everyone was still pretty tired from the day of setting up camp and traveling. I'm sure tomorrow night would involve a lot more alcohol. At least I hoped it would. I haven't been really drunk since Jessica's birthday party almost a month ago. Although I don't recall much of that night, Alice insisted that a good time was had by all!

I was relaxing casually in my blue folding chair, listening to my iPod when I felt a hand _spark_ my shoulder and his cool voice whisper in my ear, "Follow me." I looked around casually to see if anyone had seen our exchange, and then shoved my iPod in my pocket and wandered behind some of the tents and through a small wooded area, following him carefully. I should have brought a flashlight, I thought, I as I tripped over some large branches on the ground. It was so dark back here I could hardly see anything, until I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Here," he said as he handed me the headphones for his iPod. I put them on and searched his face for some sort of expression. Nothing. _Too Fucking Dark_ I thought bitterly. He searched through his collection and selected the song he wanted me to hear.

_Steal my heart and hold my tongue… I feel my time, my time has come… Let me in, unlock the door… I never felt this way before _went the lyrics to the Coldplay song he played in the car earlier today. As I went to look into his eyes and ask him a question… all of a sudden I felt his smooth lips on mine. He pushed me back onto the large tree directly behind me, and put his hands on my cheeks as he pulled me deeper into a kiss, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth again. I couldn't hold back. I didn't want to.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me, out of sheer need. I felt him licking my lips so I opened my mouth slightly and then he plunged his warm hot tongue into me. Our lips matched perfectly as he tilted his head to get deeper into my mouth. I could feel his excitement building between his legs, and was even more aroused than I thought possible.

Edward continued kissing me passionately for a few minutes, and then as though he had a second sense, he pulled away when the song stopped. My face immediately fell. His gentle hand was then on my chin, lifting my head up slowly so that he could see me. I felt his eyes piercing mine as he stared at me for a second before saying anything. I had no words for what just happened, so I really hoped he would speak first.

"That was nice," he finally blurted out.

"That was better than nice, that was fucking hot," I panted breathlessly. I leaned my head onto his shoulder to catch my breath and felt his hand reach up and gently caress my hair as he chuckled at my swearing. He reached for my hand to lead me back to the light of the campsite, but I stopped him. I handed him my iPod and fingered his carefully, still holding onto it from when he handed it to me earlier.

"We're switching iPods tonight," I said seriously. "Just so you don't think I have fucking shitty taste in music."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Yes, another chapter. I had written a few chapters a couple of days ago and am finally finding the time to review, edit and post them. Please feel free to review, all comments or suggestions are welcome. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

I spent all night in my tent roaming casually through her iPod. She was right, her music taste didn't completely suck. She had a bunch of decent songs from Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith, even a little classical. She certainly liked Coldplay, but they weren't the only thing on there. I could tell Alice had gotten her hooks into the iPod because there was some Alanis, Pink and Britney Spears. _Shudder_.

I tried to get some sleep, but between thoughts of Bella and Emmett's insanely loud snoring, it was extremely difficult. I finally found some mellow tunes which she had labeled "sleep songs" that made it easier for me to fall asleep. Unfortunately for me, my dreams were all about Bella and none of them were rated PG. When I woke up in the morning, I had a massive hard on and there was no way I was stepping out of the tent to 20 other campers, including the object of my lust, in this condition. I rolled onto my side, flipped through her music collection and waited for it to subside.

Twenty minutes later I was able to drag my tired ass out of the tent, while Emmett laid motionless, still snoring. At least now Rosalie would know what she was getting into, I smirked. I grabbed my sweater before exiting the tent cause it was still a bit cold, and noticed there was only one other person awake at this ungodly hour. Bella.

"Morning Sleepyhead," she said quietly to me. She covered her lips with her finger, as if to shush me, and all I could think about was licking her lips, sucking on her finger and more. I shook my head casually to get the thoughts out of my head and strolled over to the picnic table, sliding my sweater on to keep me warm.

"What are you doing up so early?" I questioned casually. She was sitting with her knees up to her chest, listening to my music, while rocking back and forth. I thought something was wrong with her position until she motioned for me to sit beside her.

"I slept beside Alice last night and she must have kicked me at least four fucking times. I have a feeling I will be black and blue before the end of this weekend." She remarked. I looked around carefully to make sure no one was around and then leaned in cautiously to give her a gentle kiss on her lips. I was worried that last night was a one off thing in the woods, until she whispered "more" into my ear.

_I knew she liked me. Edward Cullen hadn't lost his touch_, I thought to myself.

In my head my subconscious was doing a little victory dance as I kissed Bella again and whispered back "patience". She sighed softly and we began to talk quietly, so as to not wake anyone up.

"So I was scanning your music last night before I fell asleep," she mentioned. She was surprised by our similar tastes in music. I shot her a quick glance that said she was right; she didn't have shitty taste in music. Of course, my mind also wanted to shoot her a glance that said, _let's get out of here and go fuck like animals ._But I behaved myself.

"I saw you had some Jeff Buckley on almost every playlist. Good Choice. What a waste that he died so young. Damned musicians," I commented sarcastically hoping that she would get my joke.

"Yeah, ditto with Elliott Smith," she began. "I fell in love with his stuff when he was on the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting. Sure, I was only like 5 when the movie came out, but my mom was bit obsessed with Matt Damon & Ben Affleck, so we listened to it a lot at my house."

The stories of her childhood were pretty cute. It made me even more curious to know about why she moved to Forks in the first place. She was listening to depressing music at a pretty early age. Probably explains why she seems more mature than the rest of the brain-dead tramps Alice brought on this campout.

"Shitty ass movie… good soundtrack. I loved Lucious Jackson's song on there, and the Elliott Smith tracks." I said casually. She seemed surprised again that I knew anything from the soundtrack at all. Not long after, Alice and a bunch of the other campers started waking up. Effectively ruining any chance I had to learn a little more about Bella herself.

Alice almost immediately had Bella start working on something for breakfast. I offered to help but Alice insisted I go wake up Emmett instead. I glanced back at Bella while she started cooking up some bacon on the small stove and gave her a big smile. She smiled back, the most glorious smile I think I had ever seen and lowered her head back to the stove.

Once Emmett was awake and out of tent, a bunch of Alice's friends starting screaming and cursing at him.

"You sound like a fucking dump truck when you sleep man, "said Mike Newton as I chuckled under my breath. "Alice, shove his ass in some car tonight. I'm sure ALL of us would like some god damned sleep."

**Bella POV**

By the time breakfast was done and everything cleaned up, it was almost noon and Alice was eager to get down to the beach to relax. Some of the guys were discussing setting up a beach volleyball game, for which Emmett was more than excited to play in.

"Excellent grub Bella," remarked Jasper after he finished some of the scrambled eggs and bacon that I had quickly whipped up. I was used to cooking in a much bigger kitchen, with more choices for meals, but I supposed that I was doing okay with the food I had managed to make.

It was nearing 90 degrees, so when I went to get dressed, I decided the bikini Alice had picked out for me would be fine. It was pretty fucking humid during the summer months here in Washington, and I didn't want to be boiling. Then again, I didn't think Edward would mind my choice of clothes. I tossed on a tank top and a light pair of shorts and met Alice outside of the tent, with my beach bag. All ready to go.

"Seriously Bella, you are bringing books to the beach?" she snarled at me. I shrugged my shoulders and clung to my bag. There was no way I was going to the beach without them. Unfortunately, the beach was about 10 minutes from the campsite, so we all decided to drive there. Emmett and Rosalie were going to take his Jeep and a bunch of other campers were piling into Mike's big Suburban.

"Want to ride with me?" Edward casually whispered into my ear. I hadn't even heard him come behind me, so his voice surprised me a little. I nodded slowly and hopped into the passenger side of his Volvo as he slowly shut the door behind me. _Very polite _I thought to myself.

He got into the driver's side of the car and casually put his hand over the gear shift in the middle. I tentatively reached my hand over and was about to grasp his hand in mine, when suddenly the back doors of the car opened and Alice and Jasper hopped in.

"Let's go," Alice shouted eagerly, smacking Edward on the shoulder, as though that would make him move faster.

Alice practically danced out of the car when we arrived, pulling Jasper with her. She grabbed her bag from the trunk, with a stereo and got herself comfortable on the beach. She started by laying her towel down and then pulling off her shirt to reveal her bikini top. I think I saw Jasper's jaw hit the sand, and I definitely heard Edwards's teeth grinding together from anger.

I walked over to join Alice and spread my towel down on the light sandy beach beside her. The sun was hot, but luckily the sand hadn't gotten hot to the point where you couldn't walk on it without shoes. I always hated that about Phoenix. The sand, and it was everywhere, always got burning hot by mid day and you couldn't go anywhere shoeless.

Edward had brought a lounge chair from the campsite and had set it up a few feet from where I laid. He was running through my iPod when I caught him casually staring at me, and smiling. I sat up, trying my best to be seductive, and pulled my light tank top over my head, revealing my very clingy blue bikini top. I kept my eyes on him, trying to gauge his reaction. I knew it must be good because he pulled his own t-shirt off and used it to cover his lap.

"See Bella, I knew it was a good decision to buy the bikini," said Alice, as she broke me out of my Edward induced stupor. "So, does this mean I get to take you shopping again?" she asked excitedly.

"Alice, its one bathing suit. It's not like I had a lot of options down at Newton's for swimwear." I remarked irritably. "We can discuss the _possibility_ of shopping in the future, maybe once we get to Seattle and the stores and selections are better."

"Sweet," exclaimed Alice. "There's an awesome lingerie store in Seattle that I have been dying to visit. You can come with me in September and we can get a ton of stuff." She was so happy that I knew I was going to be forced to go, but I had to laugh as I heard both Edward and Jasper choke a little at her comment. I wasn't sure if Edward choked because his sister was interested in lingerie or he thought of me purchasing something extremely revealing and slutty. I shrugged it off and went back to getting comfortable on the beach.

I basked in my newfound confidence and I decided to slowly pull my shorts off and then lay down on my stomach to get some color on my back. I knew I was being a tease, but Edward certainly seemed to enjoy it, as I watched him shift uncomfortably in his chair. The sun was so hot today, I was pretty sure it wouldn't take too long to tan. It also didn't take long for me to take a little nap on the towel. Luckily I had Alice help me in putting sunscreen all over my back before we left the campsite.

I was woken a little while later to the sounds of everyone playing beach volleyball down the beach. I went to turn my head slightly so I could see better when I felt a small lick on my cheek and then heard my favorite voice say "Let's get out of here."

I looked up and saw Edward crouching over me, with his eyes firmly on my ass. He knew he had been caught staring and then shifted his glare to my eyes. I nodded slowly and took his hand when he offered to help me off the towel. _Spark_, there it was again.

**Edward POV**

I wasn't sure where I would take her, but after 20 minutes of staring at her luscious ass while she slept, I knew I had to do something. She seemed just as eager as we got into my car and took off. I didn't really care if anyone in our group noticed we had left.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked seductively. She knew all too well what she was doing, so I decided to play along with her games.

"I thought you could make me a sandwich or something. I'm not the best cook. I excel in other areas though," I said as I grabbed her hand and kissed the back gently. I heard her breath slow and then she laughed lightly, in her sweet little way.

"Make yourself your own fucking sandwich," she smirked. I just ignored her answer and kept driving anywhere I could think of.

Before I knew it, I had led us back to our quiet campsite. I grabbed her hand and led her out of the car and to my tent. The moment I had her in and lying on my sleeping bag, I began kissing her passionately. I was desperate as my hands roamed her entire body, feeling every inch as she wrapped her legs around my waist and kissed me back, just as hard.

The tent was absolutely boiling because of the sun shining down on it, but I could care less. I slowly ran my hand over her soft ass and she licked my neck lightly, and I struggled to speak.

"You have no idea what it did to me to have to stare at your delicious ass for the past 20 minutes," I panted into her neck as she ground her hips into on my raging hard on.

"I think I do," she sighed as she took my ear lobe into her mouth and started biting gently. We spent the next 45 minutes kissing, exploring, teasing and licking every square inch of our bodies. It was the most erotic experience of my life, which didn't include sex. The problem I was having was that my big head wouldn't listen to the little one. The big one wanted to go slow and just enjoy the experience. The little one wanted to _fuck the hell out of her._

In the end, the big head won out as I pulled back from our embrace. I wanted to be honest with her and not just use her for a means to an end. I wanted the sex, but it was more than that. She reached for the back of my neck to pull me closer to her and I pulled away again.

"What's wrong" she asked disappointed. "Did I do something wrong?" The look in her eyes was one of rejection so I knew I had to calm her fears before it got all fucked up between us.

"No, you're perfect… I promise" I whispered as I kissed her lips gently. "I like you" I started, unsure of exactly what to say. "I think we should go slower… "I really wanted to be honest with her and tell her I wasn't the _relationship_ kind of guy. Back at UW I was known more as a _love em and leave em_ asshole, for lack of a better term. Before I could tell her anything else I could feel her small soft hands wrap tightly around my neck and kiss my cheek gently.

"There's no need to be nervous Edward," she reassured me. "I'm fine with going slow, especially since I only met you 24 hours ago." she said cautiously.

I kissed her again and she reached for my hand as we went to leave the hot tent. Just as we got out of the tent, I heard footsteps behind us. I instinctively stepped away from Bella only to find Alice a mere 10 feet from us, glaring like we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N –Please feel free to review, all comments or suggestions are welcome. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

_Oh Shit! Fuck!_ I immediately thought to myself as Alice sauntered over to us angrily. I gripped Bella's hand tightly to reassure her that I could calm down Alice, but I think all I did was hurt her hand.

"What the fuck is going on" screeched Alice as she sat down on the picnic table and stared angrily at us both. Bella, Jasper and I all held back our chuckles at the sound of sweet and caring Alice cursing like a trucker. 'It's not fucking funny" she rambled on.

I looked down at Bella and could see that she wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out her mouth. She looked over at Alice sympathetically and shrugged her shoulders instead.

"Well, Alice, you are always saying I should find myself a nice girl, so I did…" I remarked casually hoping that my mood would break the tension that was circling our campsite. "We honestly didn't mean for this to happen… it just did."

"Seriously Edward, my best friend?" She shrieked. She seemed to be getting more upset at the thought of me with her friend. Sure, my romantic history was spotty at best, but Alice didn't exactly know all the details, so I was a little fucking hurt that she wouldn't want me near her friend.

Alice still looked shocked, but after a few minutes her face seemed to turn sad. She turned towards Bella, grabbed her hand and walked her away from Jasper and I so they could talk quietly. Unfortunately, Alice was really sneaky like that and I couldn't hear a word that was being said. _Fuck._

"So dude, good going with Bella," mumbled Jasper as he punched my gently on the shoulder as though to give the impression that we were friendly. _Keep this shit up kid and I'll punch you in the face_ was all I could think of. "I thought of hooking up with her, but then I met Alice and it became a mute point."

_What a fucking moron, its moot point_ I thought to myself. Alice could do a lot better than this skinny ass pale kid. Perhaps if she starts to cock block me, I might have to mention Jasper's previous intentions towards Bella. That would shut her the fuck up. Then again, it would also piss off Bella, so I would be fucked either way.

"What do you think they are talking about?" asked Jasper annoyingly after about 5 minutes of waiting.

"What the fuck? You're standing the same distance from them as I am. If you can't hear them then neither can I. If you want my thought on what they are taking about... " I started, as we noticed the girls start to chuckle, " I would guess they are laughing about how small of a dick you have."

Jasper gave me another light punch to the shoulder and I had to resist strangling him on the spot.

**Bella POV**

I felt so bad for disappointing Alice, but I knew she would come around eventually. How soon was that? I didn't know. She pulled me behind Edward's car and I thought she was going to yell at me for hooking up with her brother, but her face went sad again.

"You could have told me Bella" she stammered, as she ran her hands through her short black hair. At least she wasn't disappointed that I was spending time with Edward, she was disappointed that I hadn't confided in her.

"Alice, this only started yesterday," I explained calmly. "Uh, Hello… I only met him yesterday morning in your driveway; I didn't think there was much to talk about." I was being brutally honest. What was there to tell her? There had been a few sweet kisses, and a whole lot of deep, passionate, almost drive me over the edge kisses and lots of over clothes groping, but it's not like we had sex. We had only decided minutes ago to go slow.

"Ok, I know. I just figured that since we were best friends you would tell me about stuff like that. After all, I tell you virtually everything about me and Jasper." She was being brutally honest and I felt like I had just fucked up our friendship. She really had been my only confidant since I moved to Forks. I really didn't feel like fucking it up because of a boy.

I had never told her about the time Jasper came onto me at one of Ben's parties back in November because I didn't want to wreck our friendship then either. She had been trying to get Jasper to notice her since the 9th grade, and then I came to town and he kept trying to get me alone to "talk" to me. After Alice told me of her crush on him, I casually mentioned it in passing to him and next thing you know, she's texting me every five minutes to tell me that they have dates planned. I was really glad she had found someone who made her so happy, so I hoped she would feel the same way about Edward and I.

"Alice, when or if there is something major to tell you, I promise you will be the first to know. Whether it's with Edward or some other guy. There's really not much to share. We swapped iPods and we kissed a few times. When he asks me on a date, I will call you immediately. Even before I give him an answer" I laughed. She finally seemed to ease up a bit and laughed along with me.

"Did he at least like the bikini I made you get?" she asked curiously. I wasn't overly comfortable discussing these issues, so I just nodded my head casually and waited for her expression.

She looked at me again and luckily the sadness was gone from her face and she lit up like a Christmas tree. "I think we should go back to the beach and have some girl talk" she said excitedly. I shook my head nervously as I peeked around the car and saw Jasper give Edward a light punch to the shoulder. Edward looked like he was going to beat the shit out of Jasper, so I headed back to the picnic table where the guys were waiting before a fight or something erupted.

Before we reached the table I turned around and whispered in Alice's ear "Umm .. Alice, why did you come back to the campsite?" I was very curious. I knew this camping trip was her excuse to try to have sex with Jasper, and wasn't sure if that was her motive. She blushed at me and kept walking back to the table. Ah, I was right!

"Ok, so you can date Bella or whatever you are doing… "Alice said forcefully as she looked at Edward. "Now let's go back to the beach." She grabbed Jaspers hand and they hopped into the backseat of Edward's Volvo. I could hear Alice grumbling and getting impatient as he kissed me gently on the forehead and we got in his car.

A little while later, Alice and I were lounging lazily on our blankets on the beach. I had decided to put my shorts and tank top back on to ease the sexual tension between Edward and I. Alice chatted along happily about her relationship with Jasper, every now and then giving me a timid smile while she discussed the sexual aspects. She always whispered these parts. Not because she knew her older brother was a mere 15 feet away, but because she was a little shyer about sex than I was.

I was hardly more experienced than her. Before moving to Washington, I had goodbye sex with my then boyfriend. It was nothing spectacular. It was very awkward & short in fact. I hadn't reached any sort of satisfaction, but he was overly pleased with himself. Then 2 weeks later he called me and dumped me. I got over it rather quickly, but still hadn't dated anyone seriously since arriving in Forks.

At this point, I wasn't even sure I was going to begin dating Edward. He hadn't asked me out. We hadn't made any future plans; we were just spending time together. As Alice and I chatted, I kept looking up at him in chair to make sure he was still there. More often than not, he caught me peeking a glimpse at him, and when Alice would catch me looking she would just laugh and go back to our conversation.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. When Alice and I were done with our "girl talk" she and Jasper went for a walk along the beach while I started reading one of the books I had brought. Edward left with Emmett earlier to pick up stuff from the campsite so that we could cook dinner at the beach, in anticipation of the bonfire and alcohol fueled fun that would start later.

Alice was really lucky because the weather had been great all day, though right before dusk, it started to get a little bit cooler. I cursed myself for not bringing a heavier sweater from the campsite to cover myself with. I was thinking of walking back to get a jacket or something, when I felt his warm hands on my shoulder.

"You're so cold Bella, where is your sweater?" he whispered to me. It was such a casual question, but after spending all afternoon looking and not touching, part of me wanted to turn him around, throw him on the ground and continue where we left off earlier.

"I left it back at the campsite," I mumbled carefully. He shook his head, his soft bronze hair swaying with his movements, and handed me his dark blue hoodie. I thanked him as I slide my arms into it, desperate to stay warm.

"Don't thank me, thank Alice. She practically packed all my shit once she agreed we could come." He said as he walked behind me and wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling my back close to his chest, and he started rubbing my arms gently.

We stood there watching Emmett, Jasper, Mike and a few others try to build the biggest bonfire possible. Once they had an entire forest of branches and logs burning beautifully, with large orange red flames rising up from all sides, I felt Edward gently slide my long hair away from my shoulder as he leaned in to kiss me gently on the neck. The touch of his lips against my now flaming skin was heavenly, and I wanted to tell him so. I wanted to show him. I never got the chance.

"Not you guys too!" shouted Emmett as he skulked past Edward and I, effectively ruining the mood.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Longest Chapter yet... I hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcomed! :)**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The rest of the weekend seemed to rush by very quickly and before I knew it, we were taking our tents down and packing them in the back of Emmett's Jeep again. Edward and I had spent some time together over the past few days, but nothing incredibly intimate like on the second day in his tent. Every time we tried to get alone time together, someone was always asking us to do something or go somewhere. By Sunday morning I was beyond frustrated.

"Ok, Jeeps packed so let's get the fuck out of dodge," yelled Emmett as he climbed into his oversized truck. Emmett had offered Rosalie a ride home since a lot of the camping food and gear was gone and his Jeep wasn't nearly as full as it was upon arrival. They had spent some time together over the past few days, but I don't think it was nearly enough for Emmett. Rosalie had several guys in our group that wanted her, but she wasn't interested. I wasn't sure if she was even interested in Emmett, but I reminded myself to ask her next time we were together.

As soon as Alice and I were all done, I shoved my duffle bag in the back of the Volvo and waited patiently for the rest of the Cullen clan. Jasper asked Alice if she wanted to join him, and she was beyond eager to be alone with him in a car for 2 hours. I glanced over at Edward, knowing this might be kind of a setup for him and me to have some quiet time. He just winked at me, walked over and opened the car door.

We talked casually in the car as we drove back to Forks. He told me about his classes at UW and the huge apartment him and Emmett shared that was close to the campus.

"Our parents bought it cause they thought real estate was a solid investment," he chuckled. "We don't mind. We don't have to share a bathroom with half the males in UW who live in Rez. The only problem is that I live with Emmett."

We started briefly discussing my course load for the first semester, when I noticed that were weren't moving nearly as fast as usual, or on the right road back to Forks.

"Did you get lost?"I questioned. Something told me that Edward Cullen never got lost.

"We're going on a little side trip." I looked over at him and he had a small smirk on his face. I decided to just go with the flow. After all, we did have almost all afternoon before I had to get home. Charlie was expecting me around 7pm, which was when he was due back from his fishing trip.

We had continued our easy conversations, when I noticed we were pulling off the main road we were on, into a little rest area. I scanned around the parking lot after he stopped the car. There wasn't much here; some picnic tables, what I imagined to be a seriously disgusting bathroom and a small trail. There wasn't even another car in the lot.

Before I could speak, he was already at my door, opening it for me in the most polite way. He still had that smirk on his face. I shook it off and just followed his lead. He popped the trunk open with his keyless remote and grabbed a big green blanket from the back. He threw it over his shoulder haphazardly and grabbed my hand, _damned spark_, leading me towards the trail.

"If you are planning to kill me in the woods and wrap my carcass in that blanket Edward Cullen, you are sadly mistaken" I joked nervously. Still no reaction from him, with the exception of the ever present smirk. We continued walking down the path for about 5 minutes until we were in a small grassy meadow overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking, like a little piece of heaven hidden off the highway.

About 40 feet in front of us was a cliff edge that dropped straight to the rocks below. The dark blue water of the Pacific crashed against the rocks, making the most relaxing noise. I would never have guessed this was here if Edward hadn't brought me. I watched as he laid the blanket on the ground softly and asked me to join him as he sat contentedly.

He sat with his legs in front of him, leaning back on his palms and staring into the cloudless blue sky. What I wouldn't give to know what was going on in that head of his right now. He was wearing a tight grey t-shirt and dark denim jeans. He looked so fucking sexy, just sitting there, that I couldn't believe my good luck to be here with him at this moment.

"Bella, are you going to sit down, or just stare at me for a while?" he asked restlessly. I hadn't even noticed that I was still standing over him, staring at his beautiful eyes. I shook my head to push the embarrassment from my mind and sat down, crossed legged, beside him.

Again, there was a comfortable silence between us. Nothing was said for a few moments and I went to reach for my iPod out of my pocket, when I felt him take my hand. _Fucking Spark._

**Edward POV**

I had never taken anyone to my "thinking spot" as I liked to call it. I had once mentioned it to Emmett and he laughed, saying itwas like Winnie the Pooh and his "thoughtful spot." I ended up spending the rest of that day teasing Emmett for knowing anything about Winnie the Pooh. The cliff really wasn't that far from Forks, but I came here a lot in my last year of high school, just to relax and think. As Bella finally sat down beside me, I grabbed her hand and started to rub my fingers along her palm, sweetly.

"I've never brought anyone here before," I confessed quietly. I saw her head perk up a bit, obviously interested in what I have to say about this point. "I used to come here last year, before I graduated, just to think and listen to music and be away from the house. I never could get any peace and quiet with Emmett and Alice around." I smiled.

Bella smiled back at me with the largest grin I think I had seen from her yet. "Thanks for sharing it with me," she breathed slowly. I think my fingers' massaging her palm was having a bigger effect that I had originally intended. I went to pull back but I could tell from the look in her big, brown eyes that that was the last thing she wanted.

"Did you have fun camping?" I inquired nervously. I wasn't sure what else to say to her at that exact moment, and that was all I could muster. I could have said something romantic, endearing or even downright dirty, but instead I struck up some stupid casual conversation again. From the look in her eye though, I don't think she heard my question.

All of a sudden, she moved. Bella adjusted her position so quickly that I didn't have time to stop her. She put her legs on either side of me and was sitting down, straddling my waist. She reached both hands up and cupped my face, reaching down to kiss me passionately, more so than we had experienced previously. She started by covering my face in small, tiny kisses before she moved down to my neck and started nibbling my ear lobe. Luckily, she didn't realize the effect it was having on me, or so I thought, until she ground her little hips harder on my lap. She was teasing me.

She sucked my bottom lip into her mouth and started running her tongue along it. At this point, I was all too willing to do whatever it was she wanted. I think if she asked me to jump off the cliff, I would. That was the effect she had on me. I opened my mouth slowly, but Bella wasn't moving as slowly as I was. Her tongue darted into my mouth and met mine, and we moaned in pleasure at the same time.

I grabbed her lower back, and rolled her gently onto the blanket so that she was lying down beneath me. I was basking in the kisses we were sharing, but I felt the need to say something; as though I should voice my intentions. I kept sucking on her top lip as I tried to think something to say that didn't make me sound like a complete fucking prick. The more she kissed me, the harder it was to think straight, so I pulled back.

I rested on my knees, running my hands through my hair. Bella propped herself up on her elbows just staring me down, waiting expectantly.

"Fuck. I really am no good at this shit." I remarked, still trying to figure out what the hell to say to her.

"Spit it out Cullen"

"Do you want to do something this week? Dinner, movie… I don't know… anything?" I asked nervously. I ran my fingers through my hair again, mussing it up a bit. I always tended to do this when I was nervous. Dating and relationships were not close friends of mine. One night stands, now we had a friendship going on, one I used to appreciate before Bella came along.

"Maybe, I guess"

"That's all I get is a 'maybe, I guess"? I've been struggling to find the right words to ask you out this whole weekend, and I get a 'maybe'. Thanks for the ego boost Bella" I never had to try so hard to ask someone out and Bella didn't seem so certain that she wanted to go out with me. _Was this just a weekend hook-up thing_, I wondered.

"Yeah, we can go out this week," she answered again. "Sorry if I sounded like a bitch. It's been a while since anyone has asked me out who was sober." She laughed, her sweet little laugh and the smile came back to my face.

I leaned back down and continued kissing her sexy lips gently, and again, she became more forceful. I was always used to being the aggressor when it came to kissing, groping etc… so this was kind of new to me. I was enjoying it. She reached her small hand up into my hair, and was pulling me closer to her face, kissing me with more intensity. I pulled away slightly and repositioned us on the blanket so that I could focus my attention on her only.

I rolled her onto her side, and spooned her with her back against my chest. I think she thought I would be doing something different than what she got when I heard her gasp slightly as I wrapped my arm around her tiny waist. She was wearing a dark blue tank top and denim cut off shorts which emphasized her utterly sexy thighs and legs. I was starting to daydream about those legs wrapped around me when I then moved her dark hair away from her neck and shoulder and began peppering them with small gentle kisses. I listened intently as Bella moaned gently from the force and sheer number of kisses I was showering her in.

After several minutes of this, she carefully rolled onto her back, my hand still on her waist.

"Edward?" she asked warily.

"Yeah Bella?" I responded.

"I think I am ready to head home now" she said. I glanced at my watch and noticed it was almost three.

"Yeah, I guess we should head back before Alice calls the cops."

"Uh huh, "she panted quietly. "That and if we don't leave soon, I won't be held responsible for my actions." Bella comment almost broke me right there. I was tempted, even more than before to just pull her tight shorts down and ravage her sexy body. I leaned forward and kissed her again before standing up and pulling her with me.

"Let's go sexy" I said I as I reached down and grabbed the blanket. I threw it over my shoulder and slid my hand around her waist, pulling her as close as possible to me, as we walked back to the Volvo. "Time to get back to reality."

**Bella POV**

When we pulled into the Cullen driveway at almost 4, Alice was sitting on the front steps waiting for us. From the look on her face, I think she was 5 minutes away from calling the cops and reporting us missing, just like Edward had expected. He helped me load my stuff into the back of my truck and I waved goodbye to Alice as I hopped into the pickup and headed home. I was desperate for a shower and some good food.

"Yeah, we have a date scheduled for sometime this week, doing something. Nothing was set in stone. I'm sure we'll discuss it later," I said to Alice on the phone when she asked if her brother ever ended up asking me out.

"So, he asked you out, but no actual plans were made?" she asked again. "Stupid idiot I have for a brother" she laughed.

"Well, he obviously has my number, so I'm sure he will call and we will make some definite plans," I explained casually. I didn't want to make too much out of Edward and I going on a date. This wasn't anything serious, so I was just going to take it easy.

"So, why did it take you guys like 4 hours to get back home?" she questioned. _Fucking Alice, _I thought to myself.

"He took me to see the ocean and talk." Ok, so it wasn't completely true, but it wasn't a lie. There was an ocean and some talking, but I didn't want to get into specific details with Alice. If it was any other guy, I would spill my guts, but I had a suspicion that Alice didn't want to hear about her brother groping her best friend, so I kept the details to a minimum.

"Whatever Bella," she finished, knowing full well that she didn't believe me at all. We chatted casually for a few more moments before she told me Jasper was on the other line calling. We made plans to get together the next day to start planning our living arrangements in Seattle and then she was gone.

I laid down on my bed trying to process all that had happened over the past few days, when I heard Charlie's car pull into the driveway. I gave him a few minutes to unload his fishing gear and put it all away before I went down to join him. When I finally got into the kitchen, he was putting some fish into the freezer for future consumption.

"Bells, how was the camping trip? Enjoy yourself?"He asked excitedly. Ever since I had moved to Forks, he had been worried about me making friends. After all, I went through so much in Phoenix, he thought I would just isolate myself from everything and everyone. He was thrilled the first day I brought Alice home, I thought he was going to explode.

"Sure dad, it was great. Lots of fun, good weather. Alice, as usual, had everything planned out perfectly. How was the fishing?" I questioned, as I sat down in one of our kitchen chairs.

"It was alright. On Saturday the fish weren't biting at all, but Sunday we couldn't keep them all, so we ended up throwing a few of the smaller ones back. I brought back plenty though," he smiled. I hadn't had the heart to tell Charlie that I hated fish, so I prepared it for him once in a while, and always claimed to have a stomach ache or to have already eaten, just so I didn't have to eat it. He didn't seem to notice, so I was pleased.

We chatted a bit more about our respective trips before I noticed the time on the microwave. It was already 9:30pm. I hugged Charlie goodnight and headed upstairs to have a quick shower before heading to bed. I was eager for the comfort of my soft mattress after 3 nights of sleeping on the hard ground. After my boiling hot shower, I wrapped my body in a towel, letting my damp hair fall down my shoulders. I strolled casually into my bedroom, when I noticed my curtains moving slightly. I knew I hadn't opened my window earlier because I had turned on the air conditioning instead, so I was a bit disturbed as I walked closer to the window.

I turned around and almost gave out the largest scream in the history of Forks, before I felt a hand clamp down over my mouth. There stood Edward, all sexy and gorgeous, in my bedroom. I felt a small surge of relief run through me as he removed his hand.

"You scared the fucking shit out of me," I muttered angrily.

"Sorry. I didn't think your dad would appreciate me knocking on the door at 10 at night," he said quietly so as to not alert Charlie. He laid himself down on my bed, casually raising up his arms and sliding his hands behind his head.

"I don't think he would appreciate you climbing a tree and sneaking in through my window either, so what the fuck are you doing here?" I spat at him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – I am hoping to get up 1-2 chapters a day, so check back often. As always, reviews, comments and suggestions are always appreciated!**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

"Wow, that was not the reception I was expecting Bella" I complained to her. I thought about turning around and climbing right back out her window, but she was standing in front of me in nothing but a towel and I was frozen to my spot in her bedroom. My eyes kept scanning her entire body thinking about all the things I could do to her, if given the chance.

"Don't fucking move a muscle. If Charlie even hears you breathe I'll be grounded for life," she said as she grabbed some clothes from her dresser and left the bedroom. I stayed in my position on her bed and looked around her room curiously. _Nothing too exciting_, I thought. Her room was light blue, and there was a small computer desk in the corner next to her dresser. She had a few pictures on the wall of a middle aged woman with mousy brown hair. I would guess this was her mom. There were a couple more on her desk and dresser of her, Alice and Rose. Part of me wanted to go and rummage through her drawers, not caring about invasion of privacy and all that shit.

"Good Boy," she said as she walked back into the bedroom and patted me on the head like a fucking puppy. I was not amused. She was now wearing a thin tank top and cotton shorts. She was cute, not overly sexy, but definitely cute. I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the bed beside me.

"So Edward, are you gonna answer my question or not?" she huffed suspiciously.

"What was the question again?" I asked. At this point I had almost forgotten the reason I was there. Instead I ran my hand up and down her naked thigh, hoping for some sort of reaction. She shoved my hand off in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You climbed in my fucking window. What are you doing here Edward?"

"Oh yeah, that. I realized we never ended up making actual plans to go out. So I wanted to see what you wanted to do." I said nervously. I was trying to be all casual about this fucking date, but I was nervous as hell and had no idea where the hell to take Bella.

"Well, what do you like to do when you are home? Think of something, and we can do that" she said sweetly. I thought carefully for a few moments. What _did_ I like to do when I was back in Forks? I still had no ideas. Perhaps I would quiz Alice later about what Bella liked to do, and then go from there.

"Well, when do you want to go out?" I asked. "Do you have something already planned this week? I'm free whenever, so let's work around your schedule."

"I have to work the afternoon shift on Tuesday and Thursday and I don't get off work till 9. Other than that, my only plans were to do some underwater basket weaving and perhaps color co-ordinate my underwear drawer and alphabetize my CD collection." She said as she waved her hand towards her CD shelf. I laughed quietly because she had 5 CD's on the shelf. At least she had a good sense of humor.

"Ok, so not Tuesday or Thursday. How about Wednesday? I can help you with your underwear" I said with a smile. She laughed gently and nodded her head in agreement. "Ok, so I guess I should go now huh?" I asked. All of a sudden, we both heard loud steps on the stairs outside her door. She pushed me off the bed and as I scrambled to stand up, she shoved me into her open closet and closed the door. I took this as a hint to be quiet.

There was a soft knock on her door and I could hear her open it casually and strike up a conversation with her dad. All I managed to hear was something about him working early in the morning and Bella telling him she had plans with Alice in the afternoon and she would be home before dinner. I waited patiently and started looking through the clothes she had hanging. There were mainly comfortable sweats, t-shirts, a few hoodies and even fewer dresses or sexy outfits. _Perhaps I should try and make Alice take her on a shopping trip to Port Angeles soon, _I thought.

Before I knew it, I heard her cross her floor softly and open the door for me. "That was close," she exclaimed, as though she still held her breath nervously.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I huffed as I came out of the closet. I was nervous her dad was going to come back but she assured me that was not the case.

"Charlie is a really sound sleeper. I've snuck out so many times before and he's never caught me." Bella sounded almost proud of the fact that she had to sneak out of her own home. "He grounded me for some stupid shit at school and Alice was desperate for me to go to some party with her, so I snuck out. God, I got so drunk that night"

"You drunk, now that is something I would like to see," I said casually as I ran my hand through my hair. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I saw that based on all the parties that usually happen in Forks over the summer.

We sat on her bed talking casually about random shit before I noticed it was almost midnight and I really should be heading home. "Well, this was certainly interesting Bella. I'll pick you up at noon on Wednesday" I said I as I ambled towards her open window.

"Edward, as much as I did enjoy this surprise, next time, can you call or text first. Anything, even carrier pigeon. Just don't scare the living daylights out of me again please?" She asked sweetly.

"Sure. Next time I want to come over and crawl through your window, I will send a carrier pigeon with a message tied to his foot. Keep a look out for him" I laughed as I kissed her cheek gently and lifted my leg out the window.

It was a lot harder to get down the tree than it was to get up. Perhaps it was because I was absolutely exhausted by the time I left that I couldn't move properly. I drove home in a haze and went straight upstairs to pass out on my bed.

I woke up feeling better than I had in days. Sleeping on that cold ground and being forced to listen to Emmett's obnoxious snoring hadn't given me a comfortable night's sleep in a while. I was practically giddy at the thought of being in my own bed again. I moved slowly that morning, taking my time at breakfast and in the shower. I went back to my room to work on a few compositions I needed to bring back with me to UW in the fall, when I heard Bella's soft voice down the hallway with Alice.

"So, what on earth do you think your parents want to talk to us about?" she asked curiously. Alice gave no response, so I had to assume she shrugged her shoulders or something. I walked closer to my door to try and hear their conversations, but there was nothing. I put my ear right against the door hoping to hear anything and then I heard a loud knock on my door that made my eardrums shake. That's what I get for trying to fucking eavesdrop.

Bella stood before my door, dressed casually yet very sexy in her white board shorts and tight pink t-shirt. I was so busy staring at her that I hadn't even noticed Alice was talking to me.

"Earth to Edward," she huffed as she snapped her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.

"What the fuck Alice?" I asked, angry that she had ruined my perfectly good fantasy of Bella.

"The parental units want to see us all in kitchen for some sort of beat down, I would guess" said Alice, as she turned on her heel and walked back down the stairs with Bella right behind her. Bella turned around and caught a glimpse of me sticking my head out my door to watch her tender little ass walk away. She smiled her sweet little smile and turned away again.

I waited for a moment for my excitement to subside and then followed the girls to the kitchen. Esme and Carlisle were already waiting for us in the dining room, chatting with Emmett about the flag football league he had joined for the summer. We all took seats around the table and waited for them to say something of somewhat importance.

Esme was the first to finally break the silence. "We're selling the condo in Seattle."

Emmett and I looked at each other angrily. "Why?" he questioned, before I could manage a sentence out of my mouth.

"We figured that since Alice is now heading to UW too that we would move you all into a big house a few blocks from campus. It's more room, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, and it's a better investment for your father and I." she said casually.

"Mom, Bella and I wanted to get our own off campus apartment" Alice complained. She didn't want to be living with her older brothers, but I thought it was somewhat of a good idea to keep an eye on her.

"and Bella… we talked to Charlie about it and he thinks it's a great idea if you join them in the forth bedroom," Said Carlisle nonchalantly. I wasn't expecting that, and from the faces of everyone at the table, neither were they. Alice jumped up excitedly and hugged Bella, who looked at me with a very confused look on her face.

_Great, now we were going to be roommates in the fall_ I thought sarcastically.

**Bella POV**

I was beyond shocked that Carlisle and Esme offered me the chance to move into an off-campus house with Emmett, Alice and Edward. My entire thought process though surrounded how odd it would be to live in the same house as him. I shrugged it off and thanked them for the offer.

"That would be great. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Cullen." Carlisle corrected me and reminded me, for the 10,000th time to call them Carlisle and Esme. They weren't much for formality around the house, but I was raised to be polite to other people's parents. Alice grabbed my hand and was about to lead me back towards her bedroom when her mom started talking again.

"We take possession of the house in mid-august, so if you guys want, you can head into Seattle a few weeks early to get settled." She said happily. I looked over at Edward and Emmett and they just shook their heads in agreement, but they didn't seem overly excited. Then again, I wouldn't be excited either if I was in their position. They had a great apartment and had to move because their parents were over protective of Alice. I decided to just make the best out of the situation because it made my life a lot easier. Now Alice and I didn't have to find a place to live or worry about how we would afford it.

"Bella this is gonna be so cool" said Alice as she dragged me upstairs talking animatedly about paint colors and bedding. We wandered into her room and it looked like she had already started packing to move. I gave her a quizzical look as I motioned to all her boxes in the corner.

"No, Bella, I'm not packing yet. I'm cleaning actually. It's been so long since I saw shelves in my closet I decided to go through everything and give some stuff away to charity and throw other stuff out. Help yourself if there is something in the boxes you want" she added easily. She plopped herself down on her bed to call Jasper and tell him about the strange turn of events as I rummaged through her boxes.

She had a cool light purple sequined tank top in the box that I had eyed enviously when she bought it three months ago. I didn't even recall her ever wearing it and she was already getting rid of it. I picked it up and showed it to Alice, who nodded that I could keep it while she kept chatting. I tossed it next to my purse and then looked up to see Edward standing in the doorway. He had dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a dark blue t-shirt and was looking absolutely stunning with his mussed hair and crooked smile.

"Is she packing already?" he asked curiously. "It's only been 5 minutes. She needs to get a life" he added as he strolled over and sat down on the edge of her desk, staring down at me with his luscious green eyes.

"No, she's spring cleaning in the middle of summer" I answered. "So, what do you think of our new house?" I asked inquiringly. I was so fucking desperate to hear his thoughts on living with the girl he was trying to date.

"I'm not sure yet. I don't think I have absorbed it. I know Emmett is pissed because he loves his privacy and he doesn't want to play babysitter to Alice, but I am sure he'll get over it. He always does."

"Yeah well, it works well for me. Now I don't have to spend all my time trying to find a place to live in the fall and I can focus on enjoying my summer." I said, as I winked at him. He just nodded and stood up to walk out of the room.

"I'll leave you girls to your pillow fight, or whatever it is girls do when they are together. If tops come off though, call me!" he joked as he wandered out of the room. Alice had just finished her call with Jasper and was even more excited than before.

"Jasper and Rose are moving into a condo near campus in the fall too" she screamed happily. "This is working out better than expected. Bella, we're gonna have to start thinking about decorating the place" she added. The prospect of decorating didn't excite me. I'd just need a desk, some bedding and a light and I would be happy. Alice then started rummaging through another one of her boxes of clothes and threw me a really cute denim skort. It was a little short for my liking but it was cute, so I didn't hesitate to take it.

A few hours later, after Alice had practically designed our entire bedrooms and handed me a few more items from her box, she led me downstairs to leave. I wanted to be home when Charlie got there so I could discuss the move with him. As we went to walk out the front door, I could hear music playing in the background. Alice gestured over to Edward sitting at the piano in their living room, playing softly and very focused. I decided not to disturb him or the beautiful music he was playing and instead headed out the door and back to my place.

"Bella, I'll call you tomorrow" shouted Alice over the sound of my rusty old truck as it pulled away from the Cullen house. I just waved my hand out the window of the truck in agreement and left, with the lovely music Edward was playing still running through my head.


	8. Chapter 8

****

**A/N – So it's a two-chapter day. I might have another one online tonight since my in-laws staying over and I can't stand them. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, especially MissRe who has graciously remarked on each chapter.**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The next few days were pretty boring. I ended up spending Monday night at home with Charlie discussing the move to Seattle. He had told me he was a bit apprehensive about me moving to such a big city, but was put at ease when Esme called to see if he thought I would be interested in living with the rest of the Cullen kids off campus.

"Dad, I lived in Phoenix for 15 years, I think I can handle the big city" I reassured him. After we finished dinner, he helped by cleaning off the table while I loaded the dishwasher. He then headed into the living room to resume his usual after dinner activity, watching ESPN, while I went to start some laundry. I washed most of my camping clothes and the new stuff that Alice had given me at her house that afternoon.

I spent the rest of the night surfing the internet for mindless shit before I realized it was almost midnight. I sat quietly for a few moments staring at my keyboard before I finally understood the feeling of disappointment in me. I was subconsciously staying awake in the hopes that Edward would come through my window again tonight. I had even left it open all day. Last night had been so relaxing and casual, after the drama of almost being caught by Charlie that I hadn't grasped that I was looking forward to it happening again.

Tuesday was even more tedious. Alice called me first thing in the morning trying to convince me to go to Port Angeles with her and Jasper to see a horror movie. After reminding her that I had to work at the library that afternoon she finally gave up.

"This doesn't mean you are off the hook Bella" she insisted to me. I hated going out with her and Jasper because it always made me feel like a third wheel. "You're going to join us soon if it kills you. You need to get out more often" she stammered angrily before telling me that she had to go pick out her outfit for her date because it was _ONLY_ 7 hours away.

My afternoon at work was made even more dull by the menial tasks I had to spend my day doing. Sure, it looked good on my college applications that I worked as an assistant in a library, but it was far from exciting. I spent most of my time there restocking shelves and reorganizing the card catalogs after some 8 year old decided it would be funny to switch a bunch of the cards around. The most excitement that ever happened in this library would be when we would find some teens making out in the back stacks where no one ever went. We'd kick them out and then it would be back to the really fucking monotonous work of restocking shelves with shitty overused copies of Jackie Collins novels.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was beyond excited for my date with Edward even though I had no idea what we were doing. I checked the weather network and it was supposed to be in the mid 80's all day and humid. I ended up wearing a cute light blue t-shirt I picked up in Port Angeles last time I was there and the denim skort that Alice had given me. I added my black sandals and a white cardigan in case it got cold. I took the easy route for my hair and simply put it up in a ponytail. I didn't want to do something fancy and find out we were going fishing or something. I was almost completely ready when I heard a knock on my front door. I checked the clock and it was 12:11pm.

I headed down the stairs and saw Edward standing nervously in front of our screen door.

"Charlie's not here Edward, so you can relax" I shouted before I got to the door. I grabbed my purse and my keys from the kitchen table and stepped outside to join him. I turned around, making sure to lock the door behind me, and felt his soft lips graze the left side of my neck. I breathed slowly for a minute, as I had not expected that kiss and then turned around again to face him.

"You look great," he mumbled nervously before taking my hand and leading me to the Volvo that was idling in my driveway. We drove for a few moments before I started to get curious where we were going.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I finally asked.

"We're going to Port Angeles for lunch and some other stuff," he said casually as he kept his eyes on the road. He handed me the iPod and smiled his crooked little smile. "Put on whatever you want."

We got into Port Angeles about 45 minutes later and Edward drove down towards the harbor and parked in a large community parking lot. He opened the car door for me and held my hand as he led me towards a small pub near the ferries.

"Can we get a table on the second floor?" he asked the hostess when we walked in. There was no line, and I was very thankful for that because I realized that in my excitement to see Edward today, I hadn't had breakfast. She led us up an unsteady wooden staircase to the second floor dining room and gave us a great seat overlooking the entire harbor. The large ferry boats were directly to our right, getting ready to leave on the next trip to Victoria, British Columbia.

"This is absolutely breathtaking," I told Edward as I reached for my menu to see what I would get.

"Yeah, Carlisle and Esme used to take us here when we were little, and didn't fight with each other constantly. Usually for their anniversary or something. I just thought you might enjoy the view," he revealed as he played nervously with his hair while staring at the menu. After a few more minutes of awkward conversation, our waitress finally arrived and took our orders. I ended up ordering a simple cheeseburger with fries and Edward got some sort of pasta. I hadn't been paying too much attention, opting instead to stare out the window for a few minutes.

When felt his hand cross the table and reach for mine, I was brought back to reality and returned to focusing on him.

"Did you ever figure out how you felt about our upcoming living situation?" I asked concerned. The moment Esme and Carlisle had mentioned it to us on Monday, he got a tense look across his face. I wasn't sure how to react to that, so I ignored it for the most part. However, curiosity was getting the better of me.

"It'll be fine" he said, very aloof. "So, after lunch I thought we could go do a little window shopping, or sit and watch the ferries. I couldn't fucking figure out what would be a good date, so I'm making it up as we go along. I hope you don't mind?" I nodded my head in agreement, but continued to wonder why he still wasn't saying much about moving in with Emmett, Alice and I in August.

As we ate lunch, we enjoyed some very casual conversation until the topic of Alice and Jasper came up. I could tell Edward was not a big fan of Jasper the moment the line of questioning came up.

"So, I hear Jasper asked you out last fall…" he said, trying to be all casual but instead coming off as jealous.

"It was nothing," I insisted as I shook my head. I wondered if I should tell him the story and seeing as he already knew something, I figured it was better to be honest. "He was drunk and we were at a party at Ben's place last November. He tried to get me to leave the party with him to talk and I refused. He finally asked me to go out on a date with him and I explained how I was loyal to Alice and that she had the hots for him since ninth grade. I looked at him and it was like a light had gone off in his head and he wandered away. We never discussed it again, and it was shortly after that when they began dating."

Edward shrugged his shoulders and went back to winding his pasta onto his fork. I wasn't sure if this uncomfortable silence was good or bad.

"Alice doesn't know," I continued. "And I would really like to keep it that way. She doesn't need to know." He shook his head in agreement and we finished our lunch in peace. Once we were done, Edward paid the bill and took my hand again to lead me from the restaurant.

We wandered the streets of Port Angeles for a little while, occasionally going into a few stores like the rare book store and the music store. As we wandered past a lingerie store, Edward went to hold the door open for me so I could enter.

"What?" he asked quizzically when I gave him a mortified reaction. "I told you I was going to help you with your underwear today, remember?" he said jokingly before closing the door and then heading back down the street. I think my heart jumped out of my chest at the thought of picking out lingerie on our first date.

He was still laughing about the lingerie store incident when we got back to the car to head home to Forks. As we drove in comfortable silence, I messed with the songs on the iPod again, listening to my own personal favorites. I had been thinking for a while about possibly inviting Edward in to Charlie's house and maybe cooking us dinner. I took my chance to ask while we waited at Forks only stop light.

"Edward, did you want to come to Charlie's for dinner tonight?" I asked nervously. I was fiddling with buttons on his iPod, accidently increasing and lowering the volume while waiting for his response.

"Can you cook?" he asked, as he cocked one eye curiously.

"Of course I can fucking cook. I'll prove it to you." I said as we turned onto my street. Now I was feeling offended and couldn't wait to prove my culinary skills to him.

**Edward POV**

_Wow, Bella seemed downright pissed when I asked her if she could cook. It's not like I asked if the carpet matched the curtains,_ I laughed to myself. When we got back to her place, her dad still wasn't home from work. I parked in front of the house instead of the driveway so that he didn't block me in, in case I had to make a quick getaway.

When we walked into her house, Bella put her stuff down on the kitchen table and went to work immediately to make something for dinner.

"Ok, so no pasta because you had that for lunch" she said out loud as she ransacked the fridge for ingredients. It appeared that she had finally settled on steak, potatoes and salad, when I stood up from the kitchen table to help her.

"Do you want some help; I can peel potatoes or something?" I asked helpfully.

"Edward, please sit down. I can handle dinner. Trust me, your mouth will be salivating once the steak starts cooking in the broiler." Bella said confidently. I moved back from her and decided to sit down on the kitchen counter to watch instead. I felt isolated sitting at the kitchen table before, and I wanted to be closer to her.

I watched in awe as she prepared the steaks and shoved them in the broiler. She was about to start working on the potatoes when I climbed off the counter and wandered closer to her. She looked so beautiful and self-assured that I couldn't help myself. I walked behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her ponytail away from my face so that I could kiss her neck. It was the first time we had kissed all day since the little neck graze at her front door earlier.

Bella turned around to kiss me passionately. I ran my hands down her back, rubbing gently before I reached up and cupped her face in my hands. I lifted her up off the floor and onto the countertop right in front of me, so that I was positioned between her legs. I kissed her even more fervently that before, sucking her ears lightly but with more force each time she moaned. I began rubbing her bare thighs softly and was trailing kisses down her neck towards her chest when neither of us heard the noise a few feet from us. Bella moaned again lightly and we finally heard the noise that broke us out of our lust.

"What the fuck is happening here?" screamed Charlie in his deep gruff voice. Bella was taken aback and jumped off the counter, straightening up her clothes. Charlie stared me down expecting me to say something as Bella clutched my hand in hers possessively.

I walked forward with Bella tight beside me. I extended my free hand towards Charlie to introduce myself.

"I'm Edward Cullen sir. Nice to meet you." I said it in such a cocky manner, I couldn't help but laugh. As soon as the chuckle came out of my mouth, I knew it was wrong. Bella stared up at me with sad eyes, knowing full well that I wouldn't get to experience the exquisite smelling dinner she was cooking.

"Get the fuck out of my house, Edward Cullen" yelled Charlie again, as he opened the screen door and practically pushed me out. I was still laughing at his reaction when I got into my Volvo, once again glad I had parked on the street for my quick getaway.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – Yep... third chapter of the day. What can I say, my inlaws annoy the hell out of me :)**

**Bella POV**

"What a fucking prick" I exclaimed angrily after Edward had left the house and drove away.

"Don't fucking swear" yelled Charlie as he moved back into the kitchen. "Dare I ask what the hell is going on in my house?"

"Nothing… seriously. Edward and I went out to Port Angeles earlier today, we came home. I was making the three of us dinner and then you walked in," I stammered nervously. I knew he had clearly seen Edward and I kissing, but I just wanted to avoid that conversation altogether with Charlie. Too bad Charlie didn't agree.

"So nothing was happening on my kitchen counter? Do you usually cook steak by shoving your tongue in someone's mouth?" He asked angrily. His face had turned to a light shade of red; proof that he was calming down. He practically looked like a strawberry a few seconds ago, which would have been entertaining if he hadn't caught me with Edward.

"No!" I yelled back at him. "We kissed, that was it. Fuck, the steaks" I cursed as I reached into the broiler to pull them out, completely ruined. "Here's your dinner," I shrieked and threw the metal tray on the counter as I headed upstairs to my room. I slammed my door behind me and was about to throw myself face first into the bed when I saw Edward climbing through my window again. I was fucking furious.

"You are such an asshole," I cursed as I moved towards him and punched him carelessly in the gut.

"Bella, what did you expect me to do? I introduced myself to your father and he kicked me out" he said as he gasped for breath. I had momentarily forgotten how difficult it was to climb up that tree and into my room.

"A little support would have been nice. Maybe if you had stayed beside me and we calmly explained the situation to Charlie it would have been …." I stumbled to find the right words to explain it. Then I realized that no matter what we had explained, Charlie would still be fucking pissed to find his daughter making out on his counter with someone he didn't know.

Edward came closer to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I laid my head on his shoulder and he began lightly stroking my hair. _Why did he always have to be so damned romantic,_ I thought to myself. Just as I was about to kiss him gently, we heard a knock on the door. _Fucking Charlie._

"Hold on Dad," I screamed as Edward took his usual position in my closet. I opened the door cautiously, not knowing what to expect from Charlie this time. He actually looked a little sad, as opposed to psycho, like he looked in the kitchen.

"We need to talk Bella," he said as he sat on my bed and patted it with his hand, motioning for me to sit beside him. "I know your mom has been gone for a while now, but I'm not sure she ever gave you the 'sex' talk, so this responsibility falls on my shoulders now." He was so uncomfortable trying to talk to me about this.

"Dad, I already know about sex. Mom and I had the talk when I was 12 and saw some crazy thing on TV. Anyways, don't worry about it. We're not having sex. It was one kiss. Honestly. We're not even dating really, we're friends. It was one lunch date. Everyone knows lunch dates never amount to anything. Dinner dates are where the magic happens" I said loudly, hoping Edward would hear and take the hint.

Charlie just sulked and stood up from the bed. He seemed relieved that he didn't need to discuss sex with me, but mad that I was kissing some random guy. "Is this one of the Cullen kids you are moving in with?" he questioned finally. I was wondering when he was going to put two and two together.

"Yes Dad, it is. Really, we're just friends" I said again, hoping to calm his fears. The last thing I need is for him to go all parental on me. He would probably make me go to Appalachian State or some other podunk college just to keep me from moving to Seattle. He just frowned instead.

"We'll discuss that situation later, once I have had time to calm down" he said as he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. The moment the bedroom door closed, I heard the closet door open.

"So, we're just friends huh? Do you practically fuck all of your friends by the ocean?" he asked angrily. Edward headed towards the window and was about to toss his leg out to leave when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to me.

"I only said that stuff to get my dad off my back," I told him, as I wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping to make him understand. "Honestly. If I told him there was more involved, do you think you'd still be alive?" I joked. The sullen look on his face meant he clearly didn't find it very funny. "I don't want to give him any reason to hate you more than he does, or to take back my deposit to UW."

His face seemed to lighten up a bit when I explained this to him. I walked away from him and went to lock my bedroom door. Charlie knew how upset I was, so I didn't expect to see him until late tomorrow when he got home from work. When I get into my moods, he generally just leaves me alone. I don't think he will leave this situation alone for too long though.

I turned my music on low, shut off the lights and told Edward to lie on my bed. He did as instructed. I almost wanted to say _"good boy"_ to him again, but he would most definitely leave at that point. I climbed onto the bed and straddled his waist again. It was one of my favorite positions to kiss him in and this way I can get a good look at his beautiful face as I showered him with kisses and more. I grabbed his hair lightly and pulled him closer to me in a sitting position so that I could kiss his sweet lips tenderly. He started to return the kiss, pushing harder into my mouth than ever before, and then he suddenly pulled back and took a deep breath.

"So, when are you free for dinner?" he asked with a huge smirk plastered across his face.

**Edward POV**

Since Bella seemed to think that lunch dates weren't very serious, I knew I had to jump at the theory she mentioned to Charlie earlier and just ask her out to dinner.

"You do realize I just said all that crap to placate Charlie right?" she asked in a serious tone. "I really did have a great time today. Well, up until you got busted trying to grope me on my kitchen counter."

"Bella, that's not the point. I am trying to ask you out again. I just thought what you said to Charlie was fucking funny. So… what's it gonna be?"

"Yeah, I'd love that" she exclaimed with a big smile on her face. "How about Friday?"

"Hmm… Friday? No can do baby cakes. I have a date with Jessica and then I promised Emmett I would help him braid his back hair" I joked. She then kissed me oh so gently on the lips and all I could do was nod my head. I leaned down and we went back to kissing intensely on her bed.

I ran my hands down her sides until they were even with my legs. I then decided to test the boundaries of our so-called relationship and began to squeeze her ass, as I took my tongue and licked the entire length of her neck. She moaned gently, so I assumed this was not something that was forbidden between us. We had never talked about what we would and wouldn't do, but we did discuss taking it slow, so I didn't want to do something to make her uncomfortable.

I decided to let her make the decision regarding our next step and as I began nibbling on her ear, I whispered gently to her, "What do you want from me Bella?"

Thankfully she understood that I meant physically because she pushed me back from her gently and grabbed the bottom of my t-shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it somewhere in the darkness. I could only see a bit, since the only light was the moon shining in through her bedroom window, but I was almost certain that she had removed her shirt as well. Bella pushed me back onto the bed until my head was down on her pillow and then she hovered over me. I went to reach my hands up to her and discovered that I was right, she had removed her shirt. _So fucking hot _I thought to myself.

I took a chance and ran my hands gently over her breasts, feeling the soft satiny material of her bra. I pulled my head up slowly to shove my face into her neck and resumed kissing and sucking on her like my life depended on it, while I gently caressed her chest. She was moaning even more than before and every time she ground her little hips down on my raging hard on, I swore I heard her moan my name. My downfall was that I was not ready to move past this stage with Bella yet. Once again, my little head and brain were fighting a battle and my brain was winning. _Fucking brain._

I decided if I was going to live through this night, I was going to have to scale back our kissing. I pulled my mouth away from her neck and placed a gentle and sweet kiss on her lips. She didn't stop though. Bella kept grinding herself down on my crotch, nibbling my ear and running her hands through my hair roughly. I thought of plan b, and started to rub her back gently, in small circular motions. She started to relax a little bit and finally I was able to move her off of my lap and onto her bed, cuddled next to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she gently laid her warm head against my bare chest. I had succeeded. I wasn't rejecting her, but I didn't have to let her know I wasn't ready for that, with her, yet.

We laid in bed together for a little while, just enjoying the comfortable silence. My brain wouldn't shut off though. I couldn't understand why I was pulling away from her, but with any other girl I would have already fucked her and climbed out the window before the condom was off. The way I had reacted when her dad caught us in the kitchen was standard prick behavior for me. Sometimes it was worse, but with Bella, I felt bad for acting the way I had, even after she had forgiven me. It's like when I moved back to Forks for the summer, I left the slutty, asshole Edward behind. _Maybe it was just because of Bella that I was different_, I thought as I stroked her soft luscious hair. I leaned forward to smell it, because she always smelled like apples and cinnamon to me. Mmm.

"What are you thinking about Edward?" she asked as she ran her hands down me gently, exploring every ridge and curve of my chest. Ah, the dreaded what are you thinking question.

"Honestly, I was wondering why I was so different around you" I admitted casually. Once again, Bella had a knack for bringing out this side of me. "I'm not usually so sweet, caring, interesting even" I added as she propped herself on her elbows and looked at me.

"So, if I am seeing this Edward, who does everyone else see?"

"Alice and my mom see part of this side of me. Everyone else sees Edward the prick, who would fuck anything with two legs and not show any remorse. The Edward who would go to every single party in town just to score and get really drunk. The Edward who _NEVER _met anyone's parents."

"So, I see gentle, amazing, gorgeous, loving Edward and virtually everyone else see's Edward the prick. Interesting theory, but I have my own. I think Edward the loving has yet to find someone strong enough to tame Edward the prick. Therefore, even though you have two personas, the most important one is Edward the loving" she admitted. I laughed at her and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

"You are so full of shit Bella Swan" I laughed again.

I leaned forward and pulled the blanket which lay at the end of her bed over both of us. She hugged me closer as I started to run my fingers down the side of her face. Before I knew it, she was asleep and I wasn't far behind her.

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – Ok, I went to post this last night, but since FF was down for maintenance, this was the soonest I could get it done. Enjoy the product of my insomnia!**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The sun was pouring in my still open window and the heat on my back woke me from my comfortable sleep. I looked groggily at my alarm clock and noticed it was almost 11am. Edward was still fast asleep and I didn't want to disturb him, so I just lay beside him, playing with his soft hair and watching him sleep. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of time to sit and enjoy this, as a few minutes later he stirred and woke up.

"Were you staring at me?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes. _Fuck_, I was busted.

"Maybe," I answered cryptically. He leaned forward to give me a little kiss on the cheek and then pulled the blankets from his chest as he sat up. When he moved, he ended up pulling the blanket from my bra covered chest and he got all flustered.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he said as he handed the entire blanket to me, wanting to cover me up.

"Edward, calm down, they're just tits" I said casually as I tossed the blanket at the end of the bed and stood up. "When did you get all nervous about my chest? After all, only 8 hours ago your hands were all over them" I chuckled. He seemed to get over his embarrassment pretty quickly though because next thing I knew he was right behind me, caressing my satin covered breasts again.

He leaned forward and kissed my neck softly before whispering in my ear "So Bella, what's on the agenda today?"

I was tempted to just push him on my bed and have my way with him when I suddenly realized it was Thursday and I had to work in 2 hours. "Fuck" I muttered angrily.

"I have to head to work in 2 hours" I mumbled as I moved around the room, eager to find my t-shirt from yesterday. I pulled it over my head and peeked out the window to make sure Charlie was gone. "Let's go have some breakfast, Charlie's gone" I said as I grabbed his hand and led him downstairs to the kitchen. I rummaged through the fridge to find something for us to eat, with no luck. Luckily, Edward didn't mind the cereal that I offered him. We sat in silence for a bit as we ate our Lucky Charms.

"So where do you work?" he asked. I glanced up at him and he had a curiously sneaky expression on his face.

"I work down at the library. I am basically the staff slave. I don't make great money, but it looked great on my college applications and when it's dead boring in there, I can read anything I want." He seemed taken aback by my answer. "Uh, hello... English lit major over here" I reminded him jokingly.

After we had finished breakfast, he gave me a quick kiss goodbye and headed out down the street on foot. I assumed he must have hidden the Volvo somewhere down Deacon St. I glanced at the clock again and then ran upstairs to get ready for work.

The afternoon in the library dragged on so slowly I thought I might die of boredom. Alice had texted me 10 times since I arrived, reminding me how nice the weather was and that I should be out enjoying it with her. She even told me I should just quit since I already got into college. "Tempting," I texted back to her. Little did I know that something even more tempting would cross my path a few hours later.

My supervisor, Emme, had me re-shelving all sorts of dusty old books in the back stacks, after some kids had knocked them off the shelves during an apparent fight late yesterday.

"Seriously, who fights in a fucking library," I mumbled to myself quietly as I shoved some old medical textbook back on the shelf. I hadn't heard any noise or voices in the stacks in over an hour, so I was taken aback when I thought I heard a voice calling my name. I looked around the various rows, but saw no one, so I went back to my task at hand.

When I came across a book about the history of Forks, I sat down in one of the small plastic chairs and started to scan through it for anything interesting. All of a sudden, I felt a hand sweep my hair from under my neck and a soft set of lips sprinkle kisses down the nape of my neck to my shoulders.

"Emmett Cullen, what have I told you about kissing me in public?" I joked as I turned around and stood up. Edward was not pleased. "Seriously, I was joking. Do you even have a sense of humor?" I asked as I continued laughing.

Edward grabbed my hand and led me back through some of the older, and albeit dustier, shelving sections of the library. I shouldn't have been surprised that he knew his way around this place, but I knew I hadn't kicked him out. I would have remembered that. Once we reached the very back wall, he grabbed the back of my neck and kissed me passionately. I opened my mouth slowly, to invite his tongue in and he followed my lead eagerly. Before I knew it, he had grasped my ass in his hands and was lifting me up, so I wrapped my legs around his waist to hold me in position.

His gentle lips then began kissing down my neck, stopping every so often to give a soft lick. Once he had almost gotten to my exposed cleavage, he moved the collar of my shirt to expose more of my breast and began sucking just above my heart as though his life depended on it. I grasped his hair excitedly, gripping but trying not to pull too hard. I moaned gently as he kept sucking on my bare chest. His free hand moved stealthily down my thigh, until it was located just above my eager warmth. He pressed his palm down firmly and began moving it in small circles, applying more pressure with each pass of his hand. I was squirming in pleasure under his hand when I finally felt his lips free themselves from my chest.

He pushed me up against the wall again and started fumbling with the zipper on my shorts when we were both interrupted by an angry female voice.

"Bella Swan, what on earth are you doing back here?" yelled Emme from behind Edward. It was too late; I had been busted breaking the cardinal rule of the library, no sex in the stacks. Ok, so it wasn't the cardinal rule, but it was fucking stupid and I knew it. Thankfully, this time Edward didn't move, like he had when Charlie busted us in the kitchen. He simply lowered me to the ground, after I released my legs from around him, and held my hand protectively.

Emme looked up at me with disappointment in her eyes. Probably because she knew she had to fire me and then she would have to re-organize the stacks herself. "Sorry Emme" I panted, out of breath from Edward's touches. "Let's just make this easy on both of us, I quit." I said enthusiastically as I straightened out my t-shirt, grabbed Edwards hand again and walked out of the library, grabbing my purse from the front office as I left.

"Wow, that felt good," I said as we stumbled into the parking lot.

"The kissing or the quitting?" he asked curiously as he stood against the side of my truck, running his fingers through his hair.

"Both" I explained as I reached up and kissed him again.

"Now what are we gonna do?" He asked curiously. I shrugged my shoulders and looked down at the time on my cell phone. It was only 6pm. Dinner time. Charlie was definitely home by now, enjoying some of the lasagna I had made on Tuesday. I left a note on the fridge for him to reheat it tonight for dinner. Charlie was always a sucker for my lasagna.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm fucking starving. Let's take the Volvo for a ride and find something good to eat. We can't go back to my place, so I'm up for suggestions. You can bring me back later to pick up the truck." I said casually. At least I had offered a suggestion; he had just stared at me with a blank look on his face, and then reached over and slid the neckline of my shirt over my chest slightly to reveal a dark red mark just above my left breast.

"I think that's my best work yet" he said as he examined my huge hickey in the light of the parking lot.

"Edward" I shrieked at him. "How the fuck am I supposed to explain this to Charlie?"

"Just tell him your friend did it" he laughed as he grabbed my hand and led me towards the Volvo.

**Edward POV**

I couldn't help myself. When I saw Bella wrapped around my waist and pressed against the wall in the library, all I wanted to do was suck on her neck and leave a little 'love mark' behind. Ok, so I wanted to leave a big glaring hickey so that everyone that saw it would know she was taken. But then I saw the swell of her left breast and I couldn't resist. Sure, she might have to put a band-aid on it, then again, she might be just as proud of it as I was.

We drove back to Port Angeles, the site of our first date, to enjoy another quiet meal. This time dinner, because according to Bella, dinner is where the magic happens. Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to get into any of the fancy restaurants due to Bella's casual clothes, so I figured she would be happy with some burger joint, and I was right.

We ate our sloppy cheeseburgers and fries while chatting casually about any topic that came to our minds. I reached my hand over to move her shirt a bit, to get another glimpse at the mark I had left. It was just as dark as before._ Good job _I congratulated myself.

"Seriously Edward, I'm going to have to wear turtlenecks for the rest of the summer thanks to this," she said as she rubbed the hickey with her index finger. "Charlie won't get at all suspicious" she added sarcastically.

"Bella, it's no big deal. Tell him it's a bruise, he doesn't seem like the type to pry, so he'll probably forget all about it. If I had done it somewhere more obvious like your neck, then you couldn't claim it was a bruise, but I would be just as proud. Why don't we head back to the car so I can put one on your neck too?" I asked excitedly, even being as confident as to reach my hand into my pocket for my car keys.

"Nice try Cullen" she said as she finished with her milkshake. I offered her the chance to take a walk down towards the ferries with me, but Bella decided we should head back to Forks before Charlie got too suspicious.

She scanned through my iPod during the entire car ride home and once she found an entire playlist that she could actually enjoy, she placed the iPod back in the center console and reached her hand over, to hold mine. I intertwined my fingers with hers and heard her release a soft sigh.

"So, now what am I supposed to do? I'm unemployed, so I have a lot of free time on my hands. Any suggestions?" she asked as she stared out the window and into the darkness.

"Well, I'm always unemployed, so we could hang out. There's also Alice and Rose. Haven't you been neglecting your girlfriend duties since we started spending time together? There must be a lingerie filled slumber party that you girls need to have right? Please, let there be a lingerie filled slumber party!" I joked.

"Thanks for reminding me, Alice wanted me to go shopping with her. She also wanted me to go out with her and Jasper to a movie or something. I might have to take her up on those offers now." She added casually. We pulled into the parking lot just before 9. Bella should have been finishing work at this point, so Charlie won't be suspicious at all when she gets home in a few minutes.

I got out of the car and walked over to the truck with her. "Do I get to come over again tonight?" I asked, as I licked the length of her neck softly. I heard her moan slightly, and wondered if that was a yes. I cocked my eyebrow quizzically to her to find out her answer.

"Yes" she panted, before putting her key in the ignition and starting her beast of a truck. "How about two hours from now?" She asked loudly, over the roar of the engine.

"Perfect" I said as I reached up and pulled on the neck of her shirty again to examine my handiwork. I kissed it gently and then got back into my Volvo to head back to my own house. It seemed like it had been so long since I had graced the Cullen house with my presence. I'm sure Esme would be eager to have me back, even if only for two hours. When I left Bella's place this morning, I drove back to my thinking spot to contemplate what the hell I was going to do. After 5 hours, I still had no answers, so I came back to town to see her again, hoping it would give me all the answers I needed. Still no luck.

"Edward Cullen, how nice of you to show up" said Alice, as I walked in the front door and threw my keys and wallet on the front table.

"Alice Cullen, how nice of you to annoy the shit out of me the moment I walk in the house" I snapped sarcastically. She crossed her arms and stamped angrily up the stairs to her room. I walked into the kitchen and my parents were both there, doing the dishes together. "Hey" I announced as I walked into the room and grabbed a soda from the fridge.

"Where the hell have you been?" Esme asked curiously. I shrugged my shoulders and hopped up onto the island counter behind them.

"I just got back from dinner in Port Angeles, nothing exciting" I lied. They chatted casually to me about the weekend and how they hoped we could all have dinner, as a family, sometime this week.

"Emmett hasn't been around lately either," said Carlisle as he put a plate away in the cupboard. "It seems he and Rosalie Hale have started some little thing and he's always with her. So Edward, do you have your own Rosalie?" asked Carlisle as he cocked his eyebrow up curiously. I do that exact same face.

"If I say yes, can we leave it alone for now?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure, but we want to meet her eventually" said Esme as she handed Carlisle another plate to dry.

"I promise if it gets to that point, you can meet her" I said, as I grabbed a bag of Doritos from the cupboard and headed upstairs to talk to Alice. I knocked on her door and expected her to yell at me when she opened it. Instead, she not only let me in, but started talking first.

"Don't hurt Bella" she said as she looked down at the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and helped herself to a handful. "She's had enough shit happen to her since last summer; she doesn't need her heart broken too." I nodded my head in agreement and sat down on her area rug in the center of her room. I decided to try to open up to Alice a bit, since she was over protective of Bella and could hopefully give me some real advice.

"Alice, I promise I will do my best to not hurt her." I offered. "I have one small problem though. She's not like all the other girls."

"No shit moron" she yelled at me.

"No, I mean, I don't just see her as someone to have sex with. Sure, I'd like to have sex with her, but I enjoy her company almost as much as I enjoy kissing her. I've never been or felt this way around anyone. It's so damned confusing" I muttered anxiously. I looked up at Alice and the smile on her face was the largest I had seen since Jasper arrived at the campground last weekend.

"You really like her huh?" she asked. I just nodded my head. "Well, good luck. I hope you are not being a prick to her like all the other girls" I shook my head and reached in the bag for some more chips.

"I can't explain it Alice. When I'm around Bella, it's like I got a lobotomy and I am actually a nice guy. What the fuck is with that?" I asked, hoping for a sincere answer.

"You are such a bitch Edward. You are totally falling for her and you don't even notice" she laughed as she pushed hard me on the shoulder so that I fell back against her rug.

"So help me god Alice, if you tell anyone about this, even Jasper, you will live to regret it" I threatened as I stood to leave the room. I stopped at the door and turned back around to face Alice again. "Thanks baby sister"


	11. Chapter 11

****

**A/N – Thanks to all of those who have reviewed. Sure, it's only like 20, but one day it will be 50 and then 75 etc.. :) Reviews make me happier than old school Simpsons episodes!**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The rest of July flew by in a haze. I was rarely home and when I was, it was to cook dinner, get changed or catch up on my sleep. Edward crawled into my room almost every night, and the nights he wasn't sleeping in my bed, I was sleeping in his. Alice was all too willing to help us keep things quiet, so she was a great alibi. I'd tell Charlie that I was sleeping over at Alice's and he's simply nod his head and return to whatever he was doing before. Luckily, he had taken me quitting my job very well. I explained to him that I just wanted to enjoy my last summer and he agreed wholeheartedly.

One night, as I joined the Cullen's for dinner and a sleepover with 'Alice', conversation turned to the new house and the move.

"So, the place has four bedrooms, with two big suites on the second floor and two more in the basement. There is only one bathroom in the basement, but there is a separate entrance in the back," explained Esme casually. As we all discussed the living arrangements, we all thought it would be best if the boys had the basement all to themselves, with all of us sharing the living space on the main floor. "I thought perhaps you could go next weekend to get the place cleaned up and painted before you guys move in." We all agreed and proceeded to finish our dinner.

As Esme kept chatting happily about next weekend and paint chips, I felt Edwards bare foot snake up my leg casually. We were sitting directly across from each other, with Esme flanking the end of the table. She was so preoccupied with her conversation that she didn't notice Edward slump down in his chair slightly. His stretched his foot further up my leg, to rub my warmth gently. I think Carlisle noticed though because he glanced at Edward and pulled him into a conversation.

"Edward, when do we get to meet this girl you've been seeing?" he asked sincerely. Emmett and Alice started to choke on their salad and Edward just sat up in his chair and shrugged his shoulders. He glanced over at me, as though expecting approval for him to reveal to him that we had been spending time together. I nodded my head casually and he finally responded to his dad.

"How about I invite her over for dinner?"He remarked as he started laughing a little bit.

"That would be a wonderful idea Edward," answered Esme excitedly. "What about tomorrow night?"

"What about tonight?" chuckled Edward. "What do you say Bella, want to come over for dinner tonight?" he smirked, with my favorite crooked smile on his face. Emmett and Alice broke out into laughter and we all turned to either Esme or Carlisle to gauge their reactions. I just sat still with a smile on my face, not quite sure what to say.

"Well that was an unexpected turn of events" laughed Carlisle lightly. "Does Charlie know?"

"No" I practically shouted.

"Charlie caught us making out in his kitchen, like 4 weeks ago, and told me to get the fuck out. We haven't said anything to him since," said Edward casually. His mother gave us a disapproving look and shook her head.

"Well, I think we should discuss this in private before the move. This changes a lot of things" remarked Carlisle. After dinner he and Esme pulled Edward and I aside and brought us into the living room to discuss the situation. I went to sit down on one of the armchairs, but Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the loveseat to face the firing squad with him.

"First of all, we are not upset. We just wished you had said something before the housing arrangements had been made. Now we will have to…." Explained Esme, but Edward cut her off immediately.

"There is no reason to change anything," he explained calmly. "Bella and I are just spending time together as friends. The house was already bought before anything happened"

"Friends don't get caught making out in their parents kitchen," said Carlisle as he stood up from his armchair and started pacing around the room. All of a sudden there was a knock on the door and a terrible feeling of dread filled me, from the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. Esme went to answer it, and to my utter horror, she let Charlie into the house.

"So, what is so important that I needed to come over here tonight, Carlisle?" he questioned as he strolled into the living room. He peeked down at Edward and I sitting on the couch and I reached my hand towards Edward, and he took it eagerly, offering his support.

"Oh, no, not again" said Charlie as he huffed around the living room muttering words none of us could understand before finally forming a real sentence. "I thought you guys were just friends? Isn't that what you told me Bella?"

"We are just friends Dad. I don't see why this should change the situation for next month. So, we're roommates, who cares? I said, hoping to sound calm, knowing full well I was frustrated and angry inside.

"Bella, I ran into Emme today…" said Charlie tensely as he took Carlisle's spot in the armchair to the left of Edward and I. _FUCK_. Edward and I both looked at each other and knew we were royally screwed. "She said she found you messing around with some guy in the stacks, and that instead of giving her the chance to fire you, you quit instead. Is this true?" As Charlie spoke, his face gradually turned a darker shade of red. At least if he had a heart attack, Carlisle would be here to take care of him. I couldn't answer him, so I just bowed my head in embarrassment and nodded slowly.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. No matter what Edward and I said to reassure them, they just continued complaining that I would need to find alternative arrangements for housing in the fall.

"It's too late now to find anything decent," I complained. I could see that Esme was softening a bit. I assumed that she was imagining me living in some shitty little apartment with no windows or furniture and was having a change of heart.

"She is right, gentlemen" Esme said softly, trying to ease the mood in the room. "At this late stage, any apartment or room she would find wouldn't be in the safest neighborhood or near the school at all." Edward and I looked at each other happily. "Plus, she will be 18 in about a month, right Bella?" she asked.

"On the 13th of September" I said casually, hoping that they would finally relent. This inquisition had lasted almost an hour, with neither of us budging. Edward and I didn't see the problem of us living together, and Charlie and Carlisle didn't want it to happen at all.

"Bella will legally be an adult two weeks after the start of school. I think she is old enough to make her own decisions. Edward and Emmett will be living in the downstairs portion of the house, and with their schedules, they won't have so much time for each other." She said in a serious tone. She looked over to me and gave a slight wink. I could tell she was on our side, she was always a sucker for romantic movies and joined Alice and I for chick flicks at every possible opportunity.

"Can I say something?" asked Edward as he loosened his grip on my hand.

"No," shouted Charlie angrily. I thought I saw his face soften when he realized how loudly he had yelled at Edward. "Sorry" he said apologetically.

"Anyways, can I simply suggest that we leave everything the way it is and just see how things play out? In all honesty, Bella and I have just been hanging out all summer. Ask Alice and Emmett, half the time we are out somewhere with them, Jasper & Rosalie. We went to a movie in Port Angeles and hiking up near Olympia last week. With the exception of the few kisses, it's been very harmless." Edward was being so serious, even though I knew he was downplaying the kissing, I thought maybe everyone would finally agree.

"Fine," snapped Charlie. "Does this mean you guys are dating?" he asked angrily again. I looked at Edward for some sort of response. I had no idea what we were to each other because we never talked about it.

"How about Bella and I figure that out for ourselves, but keep you guys posted as to our actual status?" he said sincerely. Finally, there was progress. Esme nodded her head in agreement and Carlisle went right along with her, sensing defeat in the air.

"Alright Edward," said Charlie anxiously. "But if this ends badly, you'll live to regret it" he finished as he headed out towards the door. He wished Carlisle and Esme a good night as they walked him out the door, thanking them for alerting him to the situation. Edward and I went to get up off the couch, hand in hand when Carlisle finally spoke.

"Not so fast," he said as he grabbed Edwards arm before we reached the stairs. "We want to talk to you for a few more minutes. Bella you can go if you'd like." Before Carlisle could even finish his sentence, I was up the stairs and into Alice's room to repeat all the events of the evening to her.

**Edward POV**

Esme and Carlisle led me into the kitchen, away from the possibly prying ears of Alice and Bella and began to quiz me. I wanted to be honest with them, like I had been with Alice a few weeks ago, but I didn't think that would help matters at all.

"You could have just told us," said Esme, looking disappointed again. "We like Bella, we are happy for you."

"Mom, seriously, we're just hanging out. It's nothing serious, which is why we didn't think the move would be a big deal." I said indifferently as I hopped up onto the countertop.

"If it's not serious, where have you been sleeping every night you are not here?" asked Carlisle angrily. He knew I was with Bella. _Fuck_, how was I going to get out of this one? I had no close friends in Forks anymore other than Emmett and Jasper, who had turned out to be not such a dick recently. Hmm… Jasper. I bet he would cover for me.

"I've been spending time with Jasper. Usually I just crash on the couch in his room after we have played video games or something." This sounded entirely plausible. He loved his Xbox more than Emmett and Alice had mentioned he had gotten a new couch, so this might just work. Carlisle shrugged his shoulders in exasperation and wandered out of the room frustrated. He knew I had been lying, but he was getting tired of dealing with it.

"Edward, just be honest with me. I know you can't talk to your father sometimes, but I am always here." She offered as she put her arms around my shoulders and hugged me close to her, offering her support.

"I just don't want to screw it up," I admitted to my mother before she pulled away from our hug. "I _really _do like her. Please don't say anything. I need to figure some stuff out for myself before anything else happens." She nodded her head sympathetically and I hopped off the counter and headed upstairs.

I walked by Alice's room and the door was open and I could hear her and Bella rehashing what had happened downstairs earlier. I peeked my head in to find out what was going on and Bella jumped up and rushed forward, wrapping her hands around my neck and kissing me lightly.

"Thanks for sticking it out with me," she said with a huge smile on her face. I glanced over at Alice and she looked just as happy as Bella did. "I was just telling Alice about Charlie's reaction to the library thing." She said eagerly.

"Yeah, I think Jazz and I are gonna visit the library later this week and try to find those stacks in the back," Alice joked happily. I gave Bella a kiss goodnight and left her with Alice, to actually enjoy a sleepover for once. Once the girls decided it was time to sleep, I knew Bella would tip toe over to my room and climb into bed with me.

When I woke up the next morning, sure enough, there was Bella cuddled up next to me, with a big smile on her face. I didn't want to wake her up, so I moved slowly from the bed to head to the bathroom. Before I headed back into the bedroom, I noted Carlisle and Esme were both gone to work and Alice was still asleep. As I opened the door to my room, I heard a little noise and noticed Bella was finally awake and sitting up.

"Morning Party Girl," I said to her as I kissed her forehead lightly and sat down at my desk chair.

"Speaking of parties, Alice and I are planning to throw one in Seattle once we get all moved in. I'm guessing you are okay with that right?" She asked sleepily, as she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms. I nodded gently, but deep down I didn't think it would be a good idea. Alice, however, is a very determined person so if I had said no, she would have found some way to make me say yes.

Bella left shortly after a nutritious breakfast of pop-tarts and soda. I told her I would call her later that day as she hopped into her truck and drove contentedly down the driveway.

A few days later, we were all headed down to Seattle, getting ready to clean and paint the new house that Esme and Carlisle got us. Esme insisted in having veto power over the colors we choose because she dreaded the potential mess that a black or dark red bedroom would cause if we were to ever sell the place. Alice, Bella and I drove together in the Volvo while Emmett had Rosalie and all the supplies in his Jeep. After almost 4 hours, we pulled in front of the narrow red brick home and were happily surprised.

It was a nice place, with a big porch on the front and a lot of windows. Sure, the lawn was a fucking mess, but knowing Esme, she already had a gardener hired to take care of everything. Our parents had agreed to let us stay for the weekend, but since Jasper had already made plans with some of his close friends from high school, so he was left behind. I didn't mind, but Alice seemed like she was going to cry at the drop of a hat, so I was extra friendly to her.

"Holy Fuck," said Emmett was we walked into the house. It was huge inside. It wasn't a wide house, but it was very long and big. It looked a lot bigger from the inside than the outside. "Mom rocks" he said as he grabbed Rosalie's hand and headed downstairs to scope out the bedrooms.

"You pick Emmett, I could care less which one I get," I said casually as he analyzed each room. He picked the one closer to the stairway leading outside, insisting it had more room. It didn't. I ended up with the room I wanted anyways, so I was happy. It was pretty dark, with only one little window, but it would be fine. All the bedrooms already had beds, dressers and nightstands. Everything else we would be bringing with us from home or the old condo. I casually walked upstairs and heard Alice and Bella happily chatting about their rooms.

"Seriously Bella, I can have the bigger room?" she asked excitedly.

"Alice, what am I going to do with a closet that big?'Bella questioned while laughing lightly. "You have two truckloads of clothes coming in two weeks, you need the room. But, you have to let me borrow whatever I want." Alice agreed heartily. They shared a brief hug and then Bella noticed me and lead me down the small hallway to show me her room.

"I think I am going to move the bed underneath this window, and put some blackout shades up so I can actually get sleep on the weekends," she mumbled happily as she looked at all the furniture. "Charlie ordered me a desk and it's coming tomorrow, so I need to make sure I am up in plenty of time," she added.

I kissed her gently on the forehead, enjoying this side of Bella. Sure decorating wasn't exciting, but she was happy, so I was happy.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N – Be forewarned. There is lemony goodness within this chapter. My first attempt at it too, so please be gentle. For those who enjoy turmoil, just as much as romance, that stuff is around the corner.**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

The move was absolutely excruciating. I hated every fucking second of it. Esme, Carlisle and Charlie were there with us, trying to help us settle in, but they just ended up pissing each of us off. We had planned to hire movers to do the heavy work, but Emmett insisted that we could handle it. Him, Jasper and I. I gave up trying to argue with him when he threatened to tell Charlie and Carlisle the true extent of the "friendship" between Bella and I. Emmett knew damned well we weren't sleeping together, but he also knew there was more than friendship between us. I suffered through the day silently. Every time I tried to go talk to Bella, either Charlie was glued to her side driving her nuts about something, or Esme was giving me another task to do. Alice got off easy. She had so much fucking stuff; she was in her bedroom all day working on it. Alone.

"Don't say a word," I panted as I closed the door to Alice's room and hid behind it. "I'm trying to find five minutes of peace and quiet." Not two seconds later, I heard Carlisle walking down the hall looking for me. Alice shoved me into her closet and peeked out the door to tell him she hadn't seen me. I owed her.

"So, my party is tomorrow night, are you going to behave?" she asked curiously, as she opened the door for me and I slid out quietly. I shrugged my shoulders and sat down on the edge of her bed, running my fingers through my hair. "Seriously, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know Alice. If any of the campus buildings were open after 10, I would just lock myself in the music room, but I can't do that. If I stay for your fucking party, I'm sure a bunch of girls from my not so distant past will show up and I'll have a lot of explaining to do. Bella is so excited about this shitty party though" I added nervously.

"I wish I had an answer for you Edward." She said sweetly. This was my fault. I had gotten involved with Bella during the summer not knowing what to expect. Then I find out she's moving in with us, going to UW and that I have real feelings for her. Too bad my past indiscretions are going to fuck up any serious chance I might have with her. "She has been taking your relationship pretty casually, so maybe she's not as involved as you are?"

Alice might be right, but part of me hoped she was wrong and that Bella would want more someday, preferably sooner than later. Suddenly Alice's door flew open and there stood Esme with her hands on her hips, obviously angry.

"Break time is over Edward, your dad needs help moving the pool table into the basement." She said as she turned on her heel and headed back down the stairs. I flew my middle finger in her general direction, knowing damned well she couldn't see it, and Alice and I just laughed.

By the time 7 o'clock rolled around, our parents had finally left. Esme had the good sense to order a bunch of pizzas before heading home though. God bless her. Bella and I agreed to do our own thing tonight and get our rooms organized and ready. The large dumpster my parents had rented sat in our driveway until tomorrow morning and everyone wanted to get all their boxes and shit thrown in it before it was taken away. I kissed her gently on her forehead and headed down to my bedroom to empty a few boxes, enjoy a beer and some quiet.

I was rudely woken up a few hours later by some loud noises and noticed no boxes were unpacked and my beer had spilled on the floor. I mopped it up with an old rag and went to reach for a box when I heard Emmett and Rosalie in the middle of sex. I threw my hands up over my ears and ran upstairs as quickly as possible. The main floor was completely dead, not even a light on. I stumbled around and bumped into a few boxes and tables before I found the stairs and headed up to Bella's room.

"What's happening hot stuff?" I asked as I strolled in and saw her knee deep in books.

"Hey, how's the unpacking going? It's almost midnight so you must be done huh?" she asked happily.

"Not quite," I admitted sheepishly. "I fell asleep and then the sounds of Em and Rose fucking woke me, so I made my way up here to get that vision outta my head." I sat down beside her on the floor and fumbled through some of her books, bored out of my mind. I looked around and noticed that she was almost done her unpacking. There were 2 boxes in the corner, but everything was empty. She even had time to make her bed, unlike me who had slept on top of the small selection of CD's which were scattered on my bed. "Why don't you take a break?" I asked quietly as I reached over and started stroking her long hair gently.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked sweetly, as she looked out from her box and deep into my eyes. After all the nights we'd spent together, we still hadn't had sex. If there was ever a chance, it was now, and I was jumping right in with both feet.

I stood up and locked her bedroom door. _Thank god for locks_, I thought as I grabbed her hand to pull her up from the floor and then wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her down onto her bed, beneath me. I immediately started kissing her neck and running my hands slowly down the sides of her body. I squeezed her ass tightly and she took her right leg and wrapped it around my thigh, bringing her closer to me. Her hands were running slowly through my hair as she tried to even her breathing.

I leaned back from her slightly and started to pull my shirt off over my head. Once it was almost off, she reached up and started pulling harder than I was, obviously desperate for more skin to skin contact. I stretched my hands to her chest and started unbuttoning her shirt to reveal her creamy perky breasts. I grabbed both of her hands and held them above her head, against the bed as I slid my tongue down her skin and started licking. I reached around to the back of her with my free hand and fumbled with her bra, trying to release her breasts. I heard her moan my name the moment my lips touched her nipple, and I was ecstatic that we were finally moving forward.

**Bella POV**

I had been wondering all fucking summer what was taking him so long to have sex with me. Every time we seemed to get close, he pulled away or gave some sort of excuse. I was a patient person generally, but when it came to Edward, I had none what so ever.

Ever since the day in the library in early July, I knew I was falling head over heels for him. He was everything I didn't know I was looking for and we seemed to fit perfectly together. It practically killed me when I referred to him as "just my friend." The only person aware of my feelings was Alice, and she was so supportive. I had decided to confide in her the night Charlie, Esme & Carlisle found out about Edward and me. I explained how I felt and that I didn't want him to go away so I was just taking what I could get. She suggested I just bite the bullet, but I didn't have the courage, so I just waited, hoping he might make a move, or say something. I'm still waiting. So now that he was here, on top of me, licking my nipples, I couldn't help but be glad that we still had each other, even if we were 'just friends'.

I wrapped my other leg around his waist and tried to pull him closer to me. I threw my head back slightly as he started massaging one breast, while nibbling the other. The moment my head went back, his lips went right up to it and began kissing forcefully. My hands reached down and awkwardly groped for the waist of his shorts. Before I knew it, he was propped up on his knees staring down at my bare chest, as I pined for him. He undid my shorts and pulled them off quickly, throwing them into a box in the far corner. Then he stood and did the same with his, leaving his boxers covering his obvious excitement.

He leaned back over me and began showering me with kisses from my belly button up. One of his hands was cupping my breast, squeezing and fondling, while his other hand had gone in between my thighs and was rubbing gently, moving closer to my warmth with every pass of his hand. I moaned again in sheer desperation as I felt his hand slide into the waistband of my tiny panties and reach down to find my wet mound.

"Fuck Bella," Edward said as he plunged one finger deep inside of me. I whimpered quietly and pushed myself against his fingers, needing more. I used my feet to try to slide his boxers down his body to free his now throbbing cock. I could feel it beneath me and couldn't wait to feel him inside me. As he slid two more fingers in my wet warmth, I arched my back slowly and screamed out his name. Before I knew it, his boxers and my soaking panties were off and he was hovering above me, condom already in place. He was quick.

"You are so beautiful, "he said as he slid his hard cock inside me, and we both groaned simultaneously in sheer pleasure. The moment the words slipped from Edwards's mouth, what had seemed like sex changed into something else. He would stop for a moment and then just stare into my eyes, before pushing back inside me. His movements slowed down and he began kissing my lips tenderly, instead of with wanton need. As I followed his lead, I realized this became less about sex and more about love. Finally, I was about to climax, when I heard him groan. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me, wanting him to release inside me. I arched my back again as my orgasm began to overwhelm me. He leaned forward again and kissed me passionately, finally letting go and sighing.

I thought he was just going to roll over, but instead he pulled me closer to him and started rubbing my back and kissing my shoulder lightly.

"Edward?" I asked quietly after we had both been lying quietly for a few moments.

"Yeah," he responded, still trying to catch his breath. I had a hundred questions running through my mind. I wanted to ask him how he felt about me. Did he finally wise up and realize I was in love with him? I wanted to ask him to stay here with me forever.

"Wanna go break in my shower?" I asked, unable to actually open up to him, too scared to face rejection. I looked over at his face and he had the biggest smile I had ever seen. He reached for my hand and we headed to the bathroom for Round 2.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I ended up writing the party scene in two different chapters, otherwise it would have been a 5,000 word chapter. So, Chapter 13 is Bella's POV and Chapter 14, which should be posted tonight, is Edwards. Enjoy the fruits of my insomnia.**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The next morning wasn't nearly as awkward as I had anticipated. When I finally woke up, it was just past nine and everyone else was still asleep, including Edward, who slept peacefully beside me. Knowing full well that there was no food in the house, I tossed on some clothes and headed down the street to get some coffee and donuts for everyone.

As I walked back into the house, having been gone for about 20 minutes, I heard a loud argument from the living room. I could clearly hear Alice and Edward screaming at each other.

"What did you tell her Alice?" he spat furiously at her.

"Calm the fuck down Edward. I didn't say anything." Alice was about to scream something else back at him when he cut her off.

"Then where the fuck is she?" he yelled again.

"Umm… she's right here, with coffee and donuts," and I nervously help up my purchases. Relief immediately washed over his face as he saw me and the food in my hands. "I think you owe Alice an apology. It's not like she knew I left, everyone was asleep." I finished as I walked into the kitchen and put everything on the table. No one bothered to say anything further until Emmett and Rosalie joined us a few minutes later.

"Oooh donuts" said Emmett excitedly, eagerly grabbing one and shoving it into his mouth and unknowingly breaking the tension.

Alice spent the rest of the morning preparing the house for her party. Then she spent the afternoon preparing herself. She had invited almost everyone from Forks that was now attending UW and told them to bring any friends they wanted. She even gave Edward and Emmett the chance to invite some of their friends, but I am pretty sure Edward didn't call anyone.

The atmosphere between Edward and I was tense all day. We hadn't really had a chance to talk about the sex or love making or whatever it was, the night before. Once breakfast was over, Alice gave me and Rose a bunch of tasks to do, which included getting groceries for the house. 3 hours and $300 later, we came home and Edward was nowhere to be found. Alice said she thought he was downstairs unpacking, but I somehow doubted that. Once Alice finally gave me a reprieve from all the chores, I headed down to the basement to hopefully clear the air with Edward.

His door was shut, so I knocked gently before I was met with a very tired "yeah". I let myself in and was shocked that he had actually unpacked everything.

"I was bored again," he shrugged casually as I glanced around his room. It would never be this clean again. He was just lying on his bed, listening to his iPod and I felt like I had disturbed him or that he didn't want to talk to me.

"Am I interrupting?" I asked tentatively. Perhaps he wasn't as satisfied with last night as I was. I couldn't really tell by his mood. He seemed somber, a little sad even.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to figure a way out of going to this party tonight," he admitted. I had no idea that he didn't want to go. He had never mentioned anything before, well, not to me anyways.

"Then just go out somewhere or stay in your room till it's over," I suggested.

"Why don't you come with me?" he asked hopefully.

"Sorry Edward, I promised Alice I would be there for the party and I _really_ want to go. I haven't had the chance to get drunk since Rose's party in mid July, and now I get to do it in the comfort of my own home. I've been looking forward to this all week." I was trying to sound sympathetic, but he just seemed pissed. He slid his earphones back on his head and went back to listening to his music. I took this as a signal to leave. Now I was pissed cause he was being a selfish asshole. I almost started an argument with him immediately, but I wanted to enjoy the party, so I let it go. For now.

I stalked back up to my room and started rummaging through my clothes for something revealing to wear. I didn't want to go too slutty and give everyone the wrong impression; I just wanted to look good enough that Edward would realize what he was missing. Last night had been one of the best nights ever, and now he's acting all distant towards me. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I just shook it off. I was gonna have a great time at the party, even if I couldn't remember it the next morning.

Alice spent 30 minutes helping me with my hair once she was ready to go. We both agreed that her black mini skirt and the lavender sequined tank top would be the perfect outfit. It was a hot humid night for the end of August, so I would be pretty comfortable. I also thought Edward would find it irresistible so it might be incentive for him to join me.

Partiers started filing in just after 9 and before I knew it, there was about 75 people crammed into the house, most of which I didn't know. As I went towards the kitchen to fix myself a stiff drink, I overheard Emmett introducing Rosalie to all of his friends as his girlfriend. I wished that Edward and I could be more honest about our relationship. After I pulled the rum and coke from the fridge, I noticed Mike Newton chatting to another familiar looking guy in the corner of the kitchen.

"Bella, sweet party" said Mike as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He was already three sheets to wind. "Where's Cullen, I thought you two had something going on. At least that's the rumor back home."

"No, we don't, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere since he lives here too." I said angrily as I brushed his arms off me.

"Cool," he said again, this time attempting to sound sexy. "Oh, this is my roommate Logan," he slurred drunkenly. Now I remember where I know him from…. Phoenix.

"Bella Swan. We had freshman English together. Last time I saw you was at Sarah Thompsons' party. Wow, what a small world. What are you doing at UW?" he said as he gave me a small hug that lasted longer than was completely necessary. I got an even more uncomfortable feeling and when I turned around, there was Edward. He was fuming, clearly having seen the previous embrace. He reached into the cooler on the counter and pulled out a beer.

"Cullen!" yelled Mike. The booze was clearly messing with the volume of his voice, as he was now shouting all of his conversations. "What's going on man?" he asked. Edward just shrugged his shoulders and took a long swig from his beer. "Dude, my roommate knows Bella from Phoenix. Weird shit." He yelled again and reached for another beer.

"Is that so?" Edward asked, appearing to show an actual interest.

"Yeah, we apparently had freshman English together, though I don't remember most of it," I admitted nervously.

"I guess you also don't remember that I asked you out once huh?" said Logan with disappointment in his voice.

"I remember. It was at Sarah's party, the weekend before I ended up being shipped off to my dad in Forks. The weekend of the accident. Her parents were in Vegas for a few days. Didn't Andy puke her in parent's closet and they found it like a week later?" I asked, with a hint of amusement in my voice.

"Yeah, Sarah told me that when they opened the door it smelled like someone had died in there." We both laughed and then he gently touched my shoulder. I pulled away quickly and look up at Edward. He was glaring at Logan and I noticed his knuckles turning white as he gripped his beer tighter. _Jealous idiot._

"Well, hopefully I will see you around Bella. I'm the DD tonight, so I need to go keep a short leash on Newton." He explained as he headed towards the living room, following Mike who was now wandering towards Alice and Jasper. When I turned my eyes around to talk to Edward, he was gone. I downed my drink in one gulp and mixed another. And another.

45 minutes later, I was sitting on the stairs up to the second floor, feeling no pain. Every time someone offered me a drink, I took it and drank it as quickly as possible. Alice stood in the far corner with Jasper talking animatedly with friends, but she kept glancing over at me, as though she was keeping an eye on me so that I didn't do something or someone stupid.

I was about to go upstairs and just pass out on my bed, when I saw Edward make an appearance into the main room. He had a beer in his hand and went to stand beside Emmett, completely ignoring me. When he leaned over to whisper something into the ear of the extremely pretty blonde standing next to Rosalie, I had had enough. I grabbed another drink and stalked off onto our front porch. I was about to start crying when I suddenly heard Logan's voice beside me.

"You look like you could use a friend, or your stomach pumped," he said sincerely as he sat down beside me on the bench. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"It was this weekend last year that the accident happened. I don't discuss it with anyone who doesn't already know about it, so I don't discuss it. You already know," I added anxiously. "Until recently, I still had nightmares about it. Then I met someone and they went away. I'm saying too much aren't I?" I asked, feeling bad for unloading all my baggage on him when I couldn't share it with someone else.

"It's fine Bella. Yeah, I remember the accident and we all figured that was the reason why you disappeared so suddenly from Phoenix. I was going to tell you earlier that the change has done you good, but somehow I don't think it has." He admitted sadly. I frowned and grabbed the drink from his hand and downed it. _Fuck, it was water._ "I'm the DD remember," he added as he laughed.

I wanted to say something else, something to thank him for listening, but I didn't know what to say to him. I just nodded my head to acknowledge him.

"Listen Bella, if you ever realize that you are too good for this guy, call me." He said as he handed me his number. I shoved it in my pocket and gave him another small hug. Logan stood up and went back into the house to find Mike again. I almost puked on the spot when I heard the next words out of his mouth and he wasn't even talking to me. "Edward isn't it? Have you seen Newton anywhere?"

_I was fucked, and not in a good way._


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ok, so I'm not one to condone using song lyrics within ff, but I've been obsessed with the song I reference for the past week. I thought it would be rather fitting. I will list it at the end of the chapter so I don't spoil anything. It's not a super long chapter, but it explains more about Bella. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

I was fuming. Bella was absolutely hammered and sitting out on the porch talking to that Logan asshole that she knows from Phoenix. Every bone in my body tensed as I watched them from the house. I finally got up the courage to go and confront them, but instead I stood by the front door listening to them. Bella was talking easily to him about things she never even once mentioned to me, something having to do with an accident. This made me more upset. Why could she confide in him and not me?

Then I heard him tell her to call him and he handed her his number on a piece of paper. _This guy is fucking dead_, I thought to myself. I moved forward to interrupt them but then Logan got up off the bench to come into the house.

"Edward isn't it? Have you seen Newton anywhere?" I shook my head and thought about all the ways I could beat him to death. I ignored those thoughts and looked down at Bella who appeared even sadder than before when she was discussing the accident with Logan.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?" I asked. I was still nursing my first beer although I am sure everyone thought I was on my tenth or something ridiculous. She nodded her head and followed me as I led her upstairs to her room. Alice had declared the second floor off limits, so I knew we would be able to talk a bit. Perhaps I could even sober her up.

"What do you want" she spit, as she sat down on her bed angrily, swaying slightly from the sheer amount of alcohol in her body. She crossed her legs in front of her and flashed me her lacy panties as she did so. I would have probably gotten hard immediately if I wasn't so upset at her.

"You're flashing the goods," I said, trying to break the tension. She uncrossed her legs and put them straight out in front of her indignantly. "I came up to the party to apologize to you." She looked utterly shocked and like she was going to break into tears at any second. I wish there was a better time to talk to her. She was way too drunk for this.

"Apologize for what?" she seemed be getting some confidence as she spoke to me. "Apologize for not talking to me since we had sex last night? Apologize for leaving me in the kitchen earlier when all I wanted to do was talk to you? Apologize for obviously listening to my private conversation with Logan?" She was more furious than I originally gave her credit for. "Or, do you want to apologize for never being honest with me about your past?" she shrieked.

"Well, from what I heard tonight, you haven't been honest with me about your past either," I shouted back at her in frustration.

"You want me to be honest with you about my past? Fine Edward, I'll be honest with you. Last summer I was in a car accident. I was driving and my mom was the passenger and she died cause I wasn't fucking paying attention." I had not been expecting this answer from her. I wanted to go give her a hug and comfort her but the moment I reached out to her she backed away angrily. "Fuck off with the sympathy," she shouted at me.

She started to tear up a bit, and then continued screaming at me. "She died of so many internal injuries I can't even count that high. I was busy arguing with her about stupid teenage shit and then she died. I never even got to say goodbye because she died at the scene. So don't give me some bullshit about how you don't know about my past. Whenever I was with you, I didn't have to think about any of that shit. Every time I slept in your arms, I wouldn't have any of the nightmares that had fucking plagued me since that night. So fuck you for wanting to know about my fucking past."

"I'm sorry," I whispered gently to her, still wanting to console her and kiss her and make everything better.

"Don't be fucking sorry. I wasn't ready to tell you about my past cause it was so fucking traumatic for me and I couldn't handle telling anyone. I've never even discussed it with Alice. I'm the reason she's dead. I somehow doubt that whatever fucking thing you don't want to tell me is as harrowing as this. I didn't give a shit about anything in your past. All I fucking cared about was how I felt when I was with you, and that was safe and loved." She was still yelling and now there was even more crying involved. "I don't care anymore Edward" she cried, signaling she was defeated.

I dropped my face in my hands and started to realize just how badly I had fucked up. She hadn't given a shit about anything other than me, and I was so obsessed with my own history that I never once thought about hers. _I was a fucking idiot_. All I wanted to do was hold her close to me and apologize for not telling her how I felt about her sooner, but I never got the chance.

All of a sudden there was a swift knock at the door and Alice peeked her head in. "Is everything okay in here?" she asked concerned. "Everyone in the house and outside can hear the yelling."

"No, it's not okay," yelled Bella as she grabbed her purse and left the room. I went to follow her but Jasper stopped me at the top of the stairs.

"Give her some time Edward. She's too fucking drunk and probably didn't realize what she was saying" said Jasper, trying to calm me down, but I knew she was well aware of what she was saying. People are always more honest when they are drunk.

I just stood at the top of the stairs and watched Bella, with Alice directly behind her, make her way through the crowd. She stopped by the stereo, changed a few buttons and then stood by the front door, watching me and waiting for whatever song she chose to start. I didn't know the song, but my heart sank in defeat the moment I heard the lyrics. _Fuck._

_All this time I was wasting hoping you would come around_

_I've been giving out chances every time and all you do is let me down_

_And it's taken me this long baby but I've figured you out_

_And you think it'll be fine again but not this time around_

_You don't have to call anymore; I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw, don't want to hurt anymore_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry but I don't believe it baby like I did before_

_You're not sorry_

_Looking so innocent, I might believe you if I didn't know_

_I could have loved you all my life, if you hadn't left me out in the cold_

_And you have your share of secrets and I'm tired of being the last to know_

_Now you are asking me to listen cause it's worked each time before_

_But you don't have to call anymore, I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw, don't want to hurt anymore_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry but I don't believe it baby like I did before_

_You're not sorry_

_You had me crawling for you honey and it never would have gone away_

_You used to shine so bright but I watched our love it fade_

_So you don't have to call anymore, I won't pick up the phone_

_This is the last straw, there's nothing left to beg for_

_And you can tell me that you're sorry but I don't believe you baby like I did before_

_You're not sorry_

I looked back down to the front door and saw Bella crying. She looked back up at me and hope flashed across my face. Then she flashed me her middle finger and walked out with Alice on her heels.

"I fucked up Jasper," I said as I grabbed the drink from his hand and drank it all in one shot. _I need more fucking booze._

**A/N: The song is called "You're not sorry" by Taylor Swift. I'm partial to the CSI Remix, but there is also a slower version on her current album, Fearless.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews. Don't forget to tell your friends, refer, review, whatever it is you do. I'll be here all week, try the veal. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

I shook my head groggily and looked around my room. There was almost a full case of beer bottles on my desk, all empty, and there was Jasper completely passed out on my floor. I tried to remember what happened last night but the last thing I remembered was Bella putting a song on the stereo and leaving with Alice. Something tells me that I owe Jasper big time for stopping me from doing something really fucking stupid. I sat up slowly in my bed, as my head pounded like a fucking jackhammer. I glanced over at my clock and it said it was two thirty already. I slid out of bed and headed upstairs. I don't think I was ready to talk to Bella yet, but I'm sure she would be avoiding me anyways, so I probably had a little time to think of the best possible way to apologize. When I finally got upstairs, Alice was in the kitchen fixing a pot of coffee.

"Hey Alice," I said dejectedly as every bone in my body ached. "Where are you going?"I asked as I noticed two packed bags on the counter.

"They're Bella's" she said sadly. My face must have brightened at the mention of her name because Alice was quick to respond. "She's not here Edward."

"Where is she?" I was desperate to talk to her and see her, even if I didn't know what to say yet. I figured honesty would probably be the only way to go after I fucked up this badly. I could just tell her I love her and hope that would at least make her come home so that we could talk. I needed to see her.

"She's staying at Angela's for a few days until she can find a new place. I just came back to pick up some stuff for her and try to find Jasper," she said in a concerned voice.

"She's moving out?" I yelled angrily, which was clearly a bad idea considering my fucking hangover. I winced in pain as my voice echoed through my aching head.

"What did you think she was going to do?" she asked as she poured us two cups of coffee and sat with me at the table. "All summer long I have listened, in confidence, to the two of you telling me that you are falling in love with each other. She was too fucked up from the accident to tell you and you were so fucking worried about her finding out that you used to be a slut that you didn't notice how perfect she was for you. She told me you guys had sex." Alice added with an air of concern in her voice. I just nodded my head. "And that you hardly spoke to her after. That was a fucking shitty move Edward."

Of course I knew Alice was absolutely right about everything. "How can I fix it? Come on Alice, you need to help me. I love her." I said hopefully. Alice was always a sucker for romance, so I thought she might be able to offer some sort of suggestions to at least get Bella talking to me again.

"If you love her as much as you claim you do, give her a few days of space. I spent all night trying to convince her not to move back to Forks or Phoenix. I was finally getting somewhere until she passed out against Angela's sofa. Don't worry, she's with Angela and she's pre-med." Alice could obviously read the look of concern on my face when she told me Bella had passed out, and she did her best to reassure me. "If you want her back Edward, and I mean none of this 'just friends' bullshit, because she doesn't want that, then you need to get over your own fucking issues first."

"Alice," I was about to thank her, but based on her expression, she already knew I was thankful for her help. "Stop fucking swearing. Oh, and Jasper is on my bedroom floor." I added as I took a sip of my coffee and watched her rush down the stairs to the person she loved more than anything in the world.

Once Alice and Jasper finally left for the day, I headed downstairs and ran myself a cold shower, hoping to sober up a bit more. I got dressed and decided the best thing to do would be to take a walk around Seattle a bit and just think about what I was going to do about me and Bella. I left a note for Alice on the kitchen counter, grabbed my cell phone and iPod and left.

I stopped at one of the three dozen Starbucks on our street and grabbed myself an Iced Latte before walking over to the campus and scoping things out. Every five minutes I would pull out my cell phone to see if she called or texted me, but there was nothing. Part of me wished I knew where Angela lived so that I could go talk to her face to face, but I kept thinking about what Alice had told me about giving her a few days to calm down and knew that was the best thing right now.

After almost 2 hours of walking, I stumbled into a rare music store a few blocks from UW. I immediately went to the Coldplay section. I was running through their rather large collection when I found a discontinued CD single for the song "Fix You" knowing damned well Bella couldn't resist anything by Coldplay. After I paid for it, I texted Alice and asked her how I could get something to Bella if I bought her a gift. I also decided I would get her some flowers and make sure someone, preferably me, could get them to her.

It was pretty dark when I neared the house and my cell phone buzzed. It was Alice, finally.

"What's going on?" I asked casually. I felt in a much better mood than I had been all day, probably because I at least had an idea on how to salvage our relationship.

"Bella's coming back later tonight," she said cautiously. "But, I promised her that you would stay away. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Ok. How is she doing?" I asked again in concern. "Is she still hung over? Does she miss me?" I added with an inflection of hope in my voice.

"She's as good as she can be considering she's nursing a broken heart. She's tired but not hung over and of course she misses you, fucking idiot." Alice laughed. After I promised I would steer clear of her tonight, I decided to just leave the CD and flowers on her bed and stay in the basement. If she wanted to see me, she knew where to find me.

About an hour after I got into the house, I heard her upstairs talking to Alice. I wasn't sure if it was a good sign or not, but they weren't talking about me. It took all of my willpower to not rush up the stairs and pull her into my arms to tell her that I finally realized I was in love with her. Instead, I sat down at my keyboard and began composing a new song. Every one of my thoughts was about Bella, so every time I pressed a key on my piano, I thought of her. Before I knew it, I had finished composing an entire song and was extremely tired. No wonder, it was two in the morning.

I quietly headed upstairs to grab something to drink. I couldn't hear any noise above me, so I figured the girls had probably gone to bed or something. I kept all the lights off as I creeped up the stairs from the basement and when I opened the fridge door to get a soda, I was shocked to see Bella sitting at the table, finally visible from the light of the fridge.

I just stood there frozen for a moment after I closed the door. I wanted to hug her, kiss her and carry her upstairs to make love to her. I also wanted to follow Alice's advice and give her a few more days of privacy but seeing her sitting here in the dark of the kitchen, all logic flew out the window.

"I miss you" I whispered sadly.

**Bella POV**

I couldn't sleep again. When I finally passed out at Angela's last night, I woke up sweating from another dream about the accident. She helped calm me down and sober me up before I ended up falling back asleep on her couch. I felt so bad about Saturday night and how I had just barged down to Angela's and insisted she let me stay a few days, that I decided to head back home and just ignore Edward as much as possible.

As I sat in the dark of the kitchen enjoying my warm milk, I really hoped he wouldn't notice me when he quietly came up the stairs. It was pitch black until he opened the fridge and was stunned to see me sitting at the table. _Fucking busted again_. There was a very awkward silence for a couple of minutes as he just stood there staring at me miserably. Finally he broke the tension, although it didn't make anything better.

"I miss you" he whispered quietly. I had no answer for him so I just nodded my head, stood up and headed back to my bedroom. I wasn't ready to deal with him yet. I had spent all of last night trying to convince Angela and Alice that I was over him, but I wasn't able to convince myself. Seeing him in the kitchen just made all the memories from last night flood back and I couldn't handle it so I walked away. When I had finally gotten home 5 hours ago, I found some flowers and a rare Coldplay release on my bed. It had made me even sadder than before because he was trying to show me he cared, but it was too late. I laid my head down on my pillow and started crying again. Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" asked Alice gently.

"Ok" I answered tentatively.

"Did you see him?" she asked as she sat down on the bed beside me and rubbed my back gently.

"He told me he missed me," I replied with a whimper in my voice. It seemed like I had been crying for the past 24 hours. I don't think my tear ducts could take it any longer.

"Well, he told me earlier today that he loves you," she said optimistically. I turned my head towards her and perked up a little bit.

"He said what?" I was so astonished I had to hear it again, although I wished it was coming from him.

"We ran into each other this afternoon when I came to pick up your stuff. He was pretty angry that you wanted to move out, and then he asked me how he could fix everything because he loves you."Alice had been a true friend to me since the moment I arrived in Forks. I had felt pretty bad during the summer about unloading on her about my feelings for Edward. After all, this was his little sister and she probably didn't want to hear it. She kept insisting that we were best friends and we should share details on the guys we like, so I felt better.

"He left me orchids and a Coldplay CD," I said with a hint of a smile.

"And how did you feel?" she asked casually.

"I felt like shit," I admitted. "It's too late tonight, but maybe tomorrow Edward and I can talk." Alice nodded her head in agreement, and then stood up to head out of the room. I ran up to her and gave her a big hug and thanked her for listening.

"Anytime Bella. Would you mind I told Edward you want to talk tomorrow, or later today I suppose?" asked Alice anxiously. I just nodded my head and watched her close the door behind her. I sat up and put the Coldplay CD in my stereo before lying back on bed, falling asleep a few minutes later.

When I finally woke up the next morning, I felt only slightly better, but I wasn't ready to talk to Edward yet. Before I took a hot shower, I texted him and asked him to meet me at Starbucks near the main campus store at three. I had a few books left to purchase and wanted to get it done before classes started in a few days. When I was finally fully dressed, I saw that Edward had texted back his acceptance, so I hopped downstairs, grabbed a granola bar for the road and walked to the store.

It was at least a 20 minute walk, since the store was on the other side of the school, but I didn't mind, since the weather was still slightly warm and I didn't need to bring a sweater or anything too heavy. I listened to my iPod, having just uploaded my new Coldplay songs and remembered, with a smile, that Alice told me Edward loves me. The entire time I was in the campus bookstore, the smile was still plastered on my face. I'm pretty sure I looked like a lunatic to more than a few of the students in the store. That is until I walked out just before three and saw Edward talking to the pretty blonde from the party in front of Starbucks.

I turned on my heel, knowing he hadn't seen me, and walked down towards the other end of the school. _Fuck him_, I thought to myself angrily. _I knew I couldn't trust him._


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Yep, another update. My youngest is down for a nap and I was able to get all this stuff out of my head and onto the screen. Thanks for the positive reviews, they make me happier than a rare Coldplay CD. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

_Where are you? _These words lit up the screen on my phone for the fifth time this hour. I shoved it back into my pocket, ignoring it completely, even as it began vibrating a few seconds later. It was just past four, and I had wandered down towards the south end of the campus, where Portage Bay was, and just sat on a bench staring out at the boats and other people milling around the waterfront. All of a sudden my phone rang again, this time to the preprogrammed song Alice had selected for herself. I answered it tentatively.

"Bella… where are you? Edward has been calling me for like an hour saying you guys had plans to meet." Alice was clearly concerned about where I was. I was still silent. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did something happen?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," I lied. "I went to meet him, and he was with someone else, so I left. I'm sitting down by Portage Bay."

"I'm coming to get you," she said forcefully.

"Don't bother Alice. I'll be home soon. I'm gonna head back to Forks for a few days to clear my mind. There's five days until my classes actually start and there's a few things I want to talk to Charlie about. Can you do me a favor?" I asked, knowing full well she wouldn't deny me.

"Anything," she said cheerfully.

"Don't tell Edward where I went. Just let him know I'll be back and ask him to give me my space?" I asked sweetly.

"Ok," she said dejectedly. I know she really wished Edward and I could work out our differences, but I wasn't as certain as she was that it would happen. When I finally got home, the entire place was dark and no one was around. I grabbed my duffel bag and threw some clothes, my iPod and a few other things in and locked my bedroom door behind me.

I got back to Forks almost 4 hours later and Charlie was surprised to see me. I gave him a big hug and told him I missed him and thought it would be nice if we could spend more time together before school started in 5 days.

"What's wrong Bella?" he asked all concerned as we sat in the living room. It was awkward for me to talk to Charlie about anything, let alone love and death.

"I can't stop thinking about the accident," I finally confessed to him. Tears started to pour down my face and he came and sat beside me on the couch, offering me his shoulder to cry on.

"There's something else too, isn't there?" he asked again. Since when was Charlie so perceptive, I wondered to myself as tears kept streaming down my cheeks.

"I'm in love with Edward, but I can't trust him. We got into a big fight two nights ago and I think I have fucked everything up." I looked up at Charlie and he looked disappointed. I think it was more from the swearing than the fact that I admitted I was in love with Edward Cullen. He rubbed my shoulders to ease my emotional pain and started talking with surprising calm.

"Bella, I could tell you loved Edward from the moment I caught you in the kitchen together," he remarked. "I'm not mad that you love him, I'm just mad you couldn't confide in me, just like you couldn't confide in me about the accident."

Even though Charlie and I didn't get to spend much time together when I was growing up, he always tried his best to be a good father. I just know he wished it was under completely different circumstances that I finally came to live with him.

"When I got the call from the cops in Phoenix that your mom had died and you were in the hospital, my heart practically stopped. I hopped on the first plane out of Port Angeles to get to you and then I had to fight in the courts to finally get permission to move you here to Forks. Your grandma Elaine was trying to keep you, but I knew that leaving Phoenix would be the best thing for you, and I still think it was the best decision." I hugged Charlie closer to me, but let him continue his story.

"I know you blame yourself, Isabella, but it's not your fault. It wasn't your fault that your mom didn't put her seatbelt on, and it wasn't your fault that someone had spilled some oil on the street and it was all slick. The accident could have happened to anyone. I wish you would stop blaming yourself," he said sadly as he put his head on top of mine comfortably.

"I know dad…" I cried to him, "but I miss her so much" I said tearfully. He kissed my forehead gently and leaned away from me a bit.

"I miss her too, but we'll make it through this if you just talk to me. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you can come home anytime you want Bells," he said as he stood up, kissed me gently on the head and went upstairs. By the time our conversation was over, it was almost midnight. I climbed the stairs with what little energy I had left and passed out on my bed, still dressed in my clothes from earlier that day.

The next morning I stumbled downstairs and helped myself to a big bowl of cereal. The growling of my stomach was what ended up waking me from my dreamless sleep, and I quickly remembered that all I had to eat the day before was a granola bar on the way to the campus store. My thoughts turned to Edward and I forced myself to push them away because, once again, I wasn't ready to deal with reality. After I got showered and dressed, I decided to just go for a drive and think about what I wanted to do about Edward and I. I left a note for Charlie and pulled out of the drive way just before 1 in the afternoon.

As I headed out of town, I thought I saw a shiny Volvo out on the highway, but then I figured it probably wasn't the same silver Volvo that I knew. Alice promised me she wouldn't tell him where I had gone. I ignored the thoughts of Edward as I turned up the music and kept driving west down the 101.

**Edward POV**

I couldn't believe that Bella had actually stood me up. I waited outside Starbucks for her for over an hour, worrying incessantly that something bad had happened to her. I called Alice to see if she had talked to her and she told me she hadn't, but that she would let me know if she heard anything. I started to walk around campus wondering if I had chosen the wrong Starbucks, but I was certain I was at the right one. She had said the one outside the campus bookstore hadn't she? I checked my previous texts from her, and I was right.

Finally my phone buzzed at around four thirty and Alice told me to meet her and Jasper at a restaurant close to the house to talk. This didn't sound fucking good, not good at all. I hadn't even had a chance to sit down with them before Alice started talking.

"I talked to Bella and she said that she went to meet you, but you were with someone else. So tell me, how is that you can love her but you keep fucking her over?" she spat furiously.

"How in the hell did I fuck her over?" I yelled back, getting glares from some of the other people in the restaurant. "I was waiting for her where she told me to meet here. I even had a goddamned Rose with me. A Rose, Alice! I wanted to take her for a walk and tell her how I felt, but I never got the chance because she never showed up." I was furious. How dare Alice tell me that I had screwed up when I knew I did nothing wrong.

"Who were you with at Starbucks?" asked Jasper calmly. I scanned my memory trying to remember meeting or talking to anyone. _Fuck._

"That blonde friend of Rosalie's from the part." I said anxiously. "I was waiting and she came out and then stopped for a minute and asked me how things were going since the fight at the party. I explained to her that I was still working on it, but hopeful that things would get better. It was fucking harmless." I sighed.

"Bella must have seen you guys talking and assumed the worst." Said Jasper, trying to be helpful.

"No shit, Sherlock," I spat at him. "Where is she? Is she back at Angela's? I asked hopeful that I could go talk to her and straighten all this shit out.

"Edward, I promised her that I wouldn't tell you where she went, but she did say that she would be back on Sunday, in time for class on Monday," said Alice protectively. I couldn't fault her for being a good friend to Bella, because she was the best. However, at this moment I wanted to strangle her for not being able to tell me.

"That's five days away Alice. I can't have her hating me for five fucking days, when there is no good reason to hate me. With my fucking luck she will come home having completely fallen out of love with me, or worse, interested in someone else. Please Alice, where is she?" I begged, hopefully not in vain. She just relaxed her shoulders and nodded her head in defeat.

"She went to go see Charlie back in Forks," she said, clearly upset that she had broken Bella's trust. I stood up to leave and Jasper grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back into my seat. " Bella told me that she needed to talk to Charlie, so give her a head start and leave in the morning, ok?" she asked. I almost nodded my head in agreement until I came up with a better plan.

"I'm leaving now. I'm gonna drive home and spend the night at Mom & Dad's. Then I can go see her first thing in the morning, and hopefully convince her to come back with me." I was excited for the first time in three days. Alice just looked at me with a gentle smile and wished me luck.

I got back to Forks just after midnight. Part of me wanted to drive right over to Bella's climb in her window and confess my undying love to her, but Charlie was home and he owned a gun and I wasn't ready to be killed tonight. I had called my parents on the drive home to let them know I would be staying, hopefully for only one night. Esme seemed overly concerned, but I promised her that I was doing okay and that I had to talk to someone. When I woke up the next morning, it was dreary, dull and foggy, a typical September morning in Forks. I sat in my bedroom for a few hours trying to think up the perfect thing to say to Bella when I saw her.

_Bella, I love you with all my heart and soul…. Bella, I'm sorry I'm such a fucking dipshit, will you ever forgive me?_ I was still fucking clueless. I was even tempted to go and ask Esme for her opinion, but she had left for work several hours ago. Before I realized it, it was already one in the afternoon and I still hadn't left my room. I got dressed quickly and hopped into the Volvo and headed over to Charlie's. I figured everything I wanted to say would come together when I saw her face. At least I hoped it would.

When I pulled in front of her house, her truck was nowhere to be found. _Fuck, I hope she didn't go back to Seattle_, I thought to myself. I got out of the car and sat down on her front steps, waiting patiently for her. Alice said she wouldn't be heading back to Seattle until Sunday, so she was probably just out running errands or something stupid. I had to trust Alice, so I sat there… waiting… for 2 hours. I heard a car pull into the driveway and was disappointed to find Charlie coming home from work early.

He walked over to me, as I stood to let him up his front steps and into the house. "Edward," he said as he nodded his head and motioned for me to follow behind him. "What brings you back to Forks?" he asked, not sounding surprised in the least that I was here.

"I'm in love with your daughter," I blurted out, as we walked into the kitchen.

"Sit down, son." He said as he held a chair out for me from the kitchen table. Great, now I was going to have to suffer through a conversation from hell of him telling me to keep the fuck away from Bella. As if we didn't have enough troubles.

"I know you are. I also know she feels the same way. Don't look so surprised kid," he said as he popped open a beer and sat down beside me. "Bella and I had a chat last night when she got home. Let me just tell you right away, I don't oppose you dating my daughter. I don't want you to hide it from me though."

"I'm sorry about this past summer," I said sincerely. I explained to Charlie how I had liked Bella, but wasn't sure what I wanted. I told him about the advice I had gotten from Alice and Esme and how when I finally realized exactly how I felt about Bella, it was too late.

"Edward, you obviously know that Bella has been through a hell of a lot in the past year. If you care for her as much as you think you do, don't give up on her." I was still dumbfounded that Charlie was giving me sincere advice. I was even more surprised that he was okay if I dated Bella, provided that was what she wanted. "By the way, she went for a drive. She called me about an hour ago and told me she was at her 'thinking spot' and would be home just after dark."

I glanced at my watch, gave Charlie a thank you nod and ran out to the Volvo, hoping I hadn't missed her yet.

"Good Luck," he shouted as he stood in the doorway_. I would need it_, I thought to myself.


	17. Chapter 17

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**A/N: So here's tonight's update. I hope everyone enjoys and reviews their hearts out. Thanks to everyone who said they were pleased Edward and Bella didn't cheat with other people when they were fighting. It happens so often in other stories (and may happen in my future stories) but I felt that it didn't really work for this one. Enjoy!**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

It wasn't my original plan to come to this place when I got in the pickup and started driving. However, when I realized that I was unknowingly heading there, I called Charlie and let him know not to expect me back until dark. I figured calling him would be for the best because I didn't need him to worry more than usual. I could tell he was already concerned about me coming home a visit, and the emotional breakdown in the living room last night. I didn't want to add fuel to the fire. I had moved out for 4 days and was already running back home to Dad.

Around three, I was pulling into the parking lot of the small rest area off the 101. As usual there were no other cars or people around. The only noise was the loud splashing of the ocean on the rocks below the cliff of the viewing area. I grabbed a skanky old blanket and my sweater from the cab of my pickup and headed down the narrow path to the small grassy area Edward had introduced me. He had called it his 'thinking spot', and I hoped it would be as successful for me today as it had been for him in the past.

_It was the very spot that he had asked me out on our very first date,_ I reminded myself as I spread the blanket on the hard ground and laid down, staring at the cloudless sky. When I left the house earlier, it had been grey and cloudy, but the closer I got to the ocean, the nicer it became. I turned my iPod on random and tried to think of ways to fix what I had with Edward. After a while, I thought the best way would be to start over from scratch and forget everything that happened up until today. _Edward would probably go for this_, I told myself repeatedly.

As it got later in the day, the temperature began to drop slowly, so I reached over to grab my sweater when suddenly I heard a rustling noise from the trail in from the parking lot. Unfortunately, I was too far from the parking area to hear if any other cars had arrived. As the noise got closer, I prayed to myself that it was just a rabbit or something equally small and not completely terrifying. The noise stopped abruptly and when I turned around, there stood Edward, with my favorite crooked smile across his face. I just sat there nervously with my legs pulled up to my chest, waiting for him to say something.

"I was about to yell at you for being here so late in the day and all alone, but I am so relieved to see you, I can't bring myself to comment about the sheer stupidity of it all," he said calmly, keeping his eyes focused on me.

"Oh, so now I'm stupid?" I asked in frustration. "Oh, and by the way, just mentioning it means you are commenting about it, smartass."

"That's not what I meant and you know it Bella," he said angrily, before he sighed calmly. "How about we just start over? Hi Bella," he finished as he sat down beside me on the blanket.

"So, I'm assuming I have Alice to blame for the interruption?" I asked as I watched him run his fingers through his hair. I thought about how I missed doing that, just running my fingers through his thick hair and pulling on it gently whenever we were kissing. I shook my head to get myself out of the daydream and waited for his answer.

"Alice and Charlie actually, but please don't hold it against them. All they want, me included, is to see you happy." Edward had a small hopeful smile cross his mouth before he started talking again. "I'm really sorry about my attitude these past few months. I honestly didn't want to push you away; I was just being a fucking idiot." I wanted to clear the air as much as he did so I just started asking every question that came to mind.

"When did you talk to Charlie?" I asked first, curious to know how that conversation went. Edward was still alive, so Charlie must have been in a good mood.

"About an hour ago. I was at your house, sitting on your front steps waiting for you to come home. He let me in and we actually had a nice talk. I'm still alive, so that's saying something right?" he laughed tensely and I hit him with my next question.

"Why didn't you talk to me the morning after we had sex, and be brutally honest with me please?" I asked genuinely. "No more beating around the bush, just fucking tell me."

"When I woke up the next morning and you weren't there, I panicked. I thought you had left me that morning, the way I used to leave girls, so I immediately thought this wasn't as important to you as it was to me. When I had sex with someone, I never slept over, so that was a first for me. To top it off, when we made love, because it was much more than simply sex for me, it scared the shit out of me. I was so afraid of my feelings for you; I just decided not to acknowledge them. I'm sorry." I nodded my head, finally understanding his fucked up point of view. He felt like all the other girls did when he left them in the morning and he felt like shit, like he had been used.

"Ok… I can accept that, but who was the blonde at the party and what did you whisper to her?" I was going to ask every single question that had been bothering me since the moment we met.

"Fuck, that girl has been more fucking trouble than I care to mention. I don't remember her name. She's an old friend of Rosalie's and she asked me if I wanted to go get coffee with her sometime. I leaned forward and told her that I was taken. It may have looked like I was whispering, but I wanted to make sure she could hear me tell her to politely fuck off, over the noise of the party. Two days later I ran into her while waiting for you outside of Starbucks. She had still been at the party when the fight went down, so she asked me how things were since the party. I told her I was working on fixing everything and she wished me good luck and left. It was so fucking harmless Bella." Edward looked sad now. He claimed that he had done nothing wrong, and if that was true, I had been jumping to conclusions and I was a fucking bitch. "You have no idea how much I wished you had come out of the store two minutes later and found me standing alone, nervously clutching the rose I got you."

A small smile formed on my face as I thought of him waiting in front of the coffee shop holding a rose. Anyone could have seen him and for once he didn't care.

"Sorry for leaving you there and not answering any of your calls. I should have just walked over and found out what was going on, but I assumed the worst immediately because of what I saw at the party. I should have trusted you." He reached over to grab my hand in his and I didn't hesitate. He started to run his fingers gently over my palm and I realized I still had more questions for him. "So are you ever going to tell me whatever the fuck it is in your past that is causing all this shit?"

**Edward POV**

"Bella, there is more at play here than just my mistakes," I reminded her casually.

"It's still my turn for questions Mr. Cullen" she said in a jokingly serious tone. "You'll get your chance soon enough."

"Anyways, remember how I told you that last year Emmett and I had our own little off campus apartment." I focused all my attention on her, wanting to see the reaction on her face once I had told her everything. "Well, we became pretty famous across campus for the parties we would have with unlimited booze and the prettiest girls within a thirty mile radius. I was a first year and the last thing I wanted was anything close to serious relationship, so I had several… dozen one night stands." I sighed quietly.

"Have you been tested?" She interrupted with a very somber feel to her voice. She seemed disappointed, but she wasn't leaving, so I took that as a positive sign.

"Yeah, in May before I came home. I'm clean, I promise. The only girl I've been with since then was you." I admitted easily.

"So, you were basically a gigantic slut and you were worried about how I would perceive this?" she laughed heartily.

"Yeah," I confessed sheepishly, now feeling horribly embarrased. "I never said it was a good reason. I just dreaded you running into some of these girls and getting the wrong impression because I am not that fucking stupid anymore. You're the only one I want to be with." The moment I said that, the biggest smile I had ever seen crossed Bella's face and she looked absolutely breathtaking.

"Edward, I don't care about your past, or any of the girls that you were with. I've only ever cared about you." I was about to lean forward and kiss her, but I stopped myself momentarily.

"Bella, I don't care about anything that happened in your past either, but if you ever need to talk to someone about it, might I suggest your boyfriend?" I said as I raised my eyebrows, basically asking if it was okay if she called me that.

She leaned forward onto her knees and grabbed my cheeks gently in her hands and kissed me passionately. We titled our heads to deepen the kiss as I ran my hands down her back gently.

"It's about fucking time Cullen," she laughed as she pulled away. I spread my legs open and patted the ground, motioning for her to sit down between my legs. I was dying to hold her close to me and play with her long hair. The moment her back was against my chest, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck and she moaned softly.

"So, we're good?" I asked anxiously as I played with a few strands of her hair, pulling them slowly between my fingers.

"Almost, I have another question," she commented as she grabbed my hand and started stroking my palm delicately. "Why on earth did you insist on hiding our relationship this summer? Why were we always 'just friends?" she asked sweetly.

"I don't know. I think subconsciously I didn't want to share you with anyone. I didn't want anyone to ruin what we had between us. It was nice to be secret, even if for a while." I answered as honestly as I could and just hoped that she would be fine with it.

"It wasn't too bad in the beginning; I kinda liked the sneaking around, especially in the library and when you would sneak into my bedroom every night."

"Can I ask a question?" I asked hoping not to ruin the mood with something that had been bothering me for days. She nodded quietly as she kept stroking my hand with her fingers. "Why didn't you want to talk to me about the accident?" I could sense her body tense the moment the words came out of my mouth. _Fuck._

"When I moved to Forks, I tried to move on and just not think about. I didn't talk to anyone about it, not Charlie, not Alice, no one. Alice knew something had happened, but we never discussed any aspect of it, and she's my best friend. I didn't want the memories of what happened to come back and every time I thought about it or talked about, I basically turned into a self-loathing basket case. By the time this summer rolled around, things almost seemed normal. Then I met you and things seemed even more normal. I didn't want to ruin anything, I just wanted to see where it went." She turned her head around slowly and kissed me gently on the neck.

"One more question… did you ever sleep with that Logan guy from the party?"

"No. Jealous much?" she asked.

"Yes, actually, I'm very jealous of anyone who gets within a 5 mile radius of you. Can you handle that?" I asked jokingly.

"I can handle it, but back to your previous question, I had freshman English with the guy. If he hadn't reminded me, I never would have remembered. He looked familiar to me at the party, but even when Mike introduced us, I couldn't remember him. Then again that night the only person in my mind was you."

"So now what?" I asked curiously.

"Now we're dating" she said as she looked down at her watch. "Fuck. It's late. If I don't get home soon Charlie will have the tracking dogs after me."

"Ok, let's go," I said as I stood up and pulled her with me. I grabbed the blanket with one hand and threw it over my shoulder and then I grabbed her hand in mine and led us back to the parking lot. "Shit separate cars. How about I climb through your window later and we pick up where we left off?" I asked as I peppered her neck with little kisses.

Bella just nodded her head, opened the door to the truck and climbed in. I leaned up and gave her another kiss before backing away slowly to lean against the Volvo. I was a little frustrated with myself that I still hadn't told her I loved her, but I was still fucking ecstatic that we were back together.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: So I meant to post this last night, but then my daughter got sick, so here we are. Next chapter will be the romantic lemon, and I hope to post it later today. Enjoy.**

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Edward POV**

The moment I got into the car I called Esme to let her know I would be sleeping at home again tonight. Well, I might not physically be there, but I had to at least make her think I was. She was very curious to know if I had gotten everything straightened out.

"Yes mom, it's all fixed, and Bella and I are officially dating," I said proudly.

"Well good, it's about time you pulled your head out of your ass, Edward Cullen" she said teasingly. I told her I would be home within the hour and I expected a hot dinner on the table. "Nice try" she said before she hung up on me. My next phone call was to Alice. She had insisted I call her once I talked to Bella, no matter what the outcome was, and I needed to thank her.

"What took so fucking long?" she said the moment she answered the phone.

"Hi to you too Alice," I grumbled angrily, though deep down I knew I was eternally grateful to her.

"So, I'm guessing you talked to her. What happened?" she asked curiously. I figured she had been waiting all damned day for word from Bella or me on the result of our conversation. "It's so damned late I was starting to think you backed out and hadn't talked to her."

"Calm down Alice, we talked and everything is all patched up. I am officially her boyfriend, no hiding or secrets or anything like that. I even told Esme," I explained casually.

"Mom knew before me? You suck Edward!" she spat furiously. "So, how is Bella doing? Can I talk to her?"

"We're in separate cars, if you want to talk to her, call her cell phone." She seemed all confused, so I explained the entire story to her, starting with my conversation with Charlie and ending with me calling Esme.

"Ok, well, I am glad you guys got everything straightened out, now I can get back to planning my next party. You know Bella's birthday is only two weeks away. It's not nearly enough time to plan a huge party, but I can whip something together." Alice was so excited, I felt bad for ruining her plans.

"No way Alice, she's all mine that night. Do it another night, another week, any other time but not that night. Don't plan anything for tomorrow night either. I'm hoping to convince her to come back to Seattle and go on a real date with me. In fact, you should plan ahead for that. Bella will need a nice dress, shoes, stuff like that. Pretty girl stuff." Alice was hooked. She loved surprising people and started mumbling something about little black dresses before I could even finish my sentence. Hopefully Bella would agree to all this.

When I got home, Esme actually had prepared some dinner for me. Sure it was leftovers, but I was so fucking starving I would have ate the neighbor's cat. I ate quickly and then ran upstairs to shower and lock up before meeting Bella outside. On the car ride home, she called me from her cell and told me she would pick me up about half an hour after I got home. This way, my car would still be in my driveway and not in front of her house, and no one would be the wiser. Charlie and I were on better terms, but I still think he wouldn't hesitate to shoot me in the groin if he found me in his daughter's bed.

When we pulled in front of Bella's house, she went inside to talk to Charlie about the events of the day and I took the opportunity to climb her front tree and slide into her window. Thank god she left it open all day, I thought to myself once I got to the edge to toss my foot in. It was almost half an hour later when Bella wandered into the room with a tired expression across her face.

"Well that wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected, just time consuming. I think Charlie's a little lonely," she said as she sat down on the bed beside me, rubbing my thigh gently.

"What happened?" I asked quietly. I had a lot of practice keeping my voice down while Charlie was awake.

"He told me about your conversation today, he said you seemed to genuinely care about me, so he was happy I had someone in my life like that. Then he said that he hoped I would eventually confide in you about the accident if I couldn't tell him. He was very pleased when I confessed that we had discussed it a bit." She explained as she stood up to find her duffel bag with her pajamas in it.

"Shit, I didn't bring anything to sleep in," I said with mock frustration.

"Edward, we are not having sex in my father's house, with him awake on the next floor," she said with a smirk on his face.

"Awww, but Emmett told me make-up sex is the best sex there is," I joked as I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, putting my head on her shoulder. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I think you should head back to Seattle with me, we can leave your broken down piece of shit truck here, and you should go out on a real date with me," I asked eagerly.

"Did you have something specific in mind?" She asked as she pulled a t-shirt and short set out of her bag and unwrapped herself from my arms.

"I was thinking we go out for a nice fancy dinner, and you bring an overnight bag." I wasn't sure how she would react to this, but I had something special in mind and really hoped she would go along with it.

"Ok, but we'll need to leave early tomorrow morning so I can go shopping for something nice to wear," I was so relieved that Bella had actually agreed to go, that the moment she stepped out of the room to get ready for bed, I logged onto her computer and booked a corner suite at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle. Once that was confirmed, I sent a quick email to the concierge, who was an old friend of Carlisle's and begged him for a table that night at their best restaurant, The Georgian. I knew I wouldn't get a response regarding the dinner tonight since it was so late, so I decided to worry about it in the morning. If we couldn't get in there, I knew of a few other restaurants that would make do.

I was printing out the hotel confirmation when Bella strolled back into the room all ready for bed, and looking at me curiously. "It's a surprise,' I said as I pulled my shirt off, stripped down to my boxers and climbed into bed with her.

I reached over to turn off the light and I felt her kiss my neck ever so gently. "So, what am I allowed to do with you in this bed?" I asked excitedly.

"Tonight, you get to sleep. I am so fucking tired from all our drama; I can't wait to get a good night's sleep. Good night Edward," she said as she kissed my neck again. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly.

"Good Night Bella."

**Bella POV**

The next morning when I woke up, Edward was lying next to me, wide awake and stroking my hair through his fingers gently.

"Morning Baby," he said quietly as he kissed my cheek. "Charlie's still here so I haven't moved a muscle" he admitted.

"Give me five minutes to say goodbye to him before he leaves for work and I will be right back up," I said as I hopped out of bed and dashed down the stairs.

"Hey Dad," I said happily as I wandered into the kitchen and sat down on one of his mismatched chairs.

"Let me guess, you are heading back to Seattle today right?" He was always so perceptive, but luckily for me, he hadn't been overly verbal about any of it.

"Yeah, I talked to Edward last night and we are going to drive back together, if you don't mind?" I asked casually.

"Okay. I'm just glad I got to spend some more time with you. Remember what I said the other night, you can come home whenever you want," he said sadly, as he came over and gave me a little squeeze. "I'm late for work, so call me when you get back into Seattle, so I know you are safe, okay?"

"Sure" I sighed as I watched him head out the door to his car and drive away down the street. The moment his car was gone, Edward was right behind me, wrapping his long arms around my waist again. "Let me go toss on some long pants and I will drive you home. How quickly can you get back here so that we can head back to Seattle?" I asked with enthusiasm.

"I can be back in an hour."

"Good, let's go. By the way, where the fuck are your pants?" I asked lightheartedly, as he led me up the stairs to my bedroom so that I could get dressed.

We were back in Seattle by one and were greeted by Alice with a big group hug the moment we walked in the front door, hand in hand. Before either of us got a chance to say anything, Alice pulled Edward aside and was whispering a bunch of stuff as he just nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay Bella, let's go shopping," she shrieked excitedly once their private conversation was over. I just nodded and grabbed my purse as she led me out the door, practically skipping to her car. I had assumed we were going to go pick up a dress or something fancy to wear, but she assured me that she had already taken care of it. "Remember that light blue chiffon cocktail dress of mine that you always said you liked, you're wearing that tonight," she said eagerly.

"Isn't that a bit fancy," I asked curiously. Edward hadn't told me much about what we were doing except that we were having dinner and I needed to bring an overnight bag with me.

"Not where you are going Bella," she chuckled at me. "Now we just need something to go under the dress," she said as we pulled into a parking spot in front of a local lingerie store. The moment I walked in I felt slightly embarrassed. Thankfully, Alice's complete understanding of all things fashion, helped to put me at ease. The thought of picking something that Edward and I could enjoy together also helped to relax me a bit.

"Do you want something sexy, slutty or virginal? What do you think Edward would want?" asked Alice hesitantly. I felt kinda awkward discussing this with her, but decided now was not the time to be shy.

"He'd probably prefer one of each actually," I said as I walked over to a cute little black ruffled bra and panty set. I sorted through the rack until I found my size and held onto it. He would love this one for sure, I thought confidently. An hour and $400 later, I left the store with a small arsenal of lingerie to last for several weeks. I almost asked Alice exactly how long I was going to need the overnight bag but decided against it. Edward wasn't stupid enough to have us miss the start of classes in three days.

When we finally got home, he was nowhere to be found. Alice helped me pack my bag with almost all of the lingerie we had purchased, a change of clothes for tomorrow and my cosmetics bag. As we were packing, Rosalie showed up and insisted on helping with my hair. Apparently everyone knew about the specifics of our date but me. It was almost seven when I was finally dressed and looking good enough to gain Alice's approval.

"Wow, you look good Bella," said Jasper as he walked into my room and admired Rose and Alice's handiwork. The dress felt a little snug, but not overly uncomfortable. I think the revealing lingerie Alice made me put on was what was making it a bit tight. I peered at myself in the full length mirror in Alice's room before heading down the stairs carefully.

I finally looked up from the floor once my feet were firmly on solid ground, and saw Edward standing by the door waiting, with one single red rose. He was dressed in a very nice suit and looked even more handsome than ever. I really wanted to joke that we looked like we were going to prom or something equally ridiculous, but I decided to go with the flow because he had spent time planning and I didn't want to disappoint him.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into my ear as he opened the door and led me down the front steps. We were almost to the Volvo when we heard Jasper whistling from the front door.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he shouted as we both shook our heads and laughed.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry all, this is the last chapter. I am working on a new story and hope to have it posted sometime tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who read, and especially those who reviewed. **

**** I do not own the characters etc… all belong to SM. Thanks – The Management****

**Bella POV**

The entire drive to the hotel was pretty quiet. Edward seemed more nervous than usual, which was such a change from his calm and cool persona. When we pulled up to the valet, he reached into the backseat and handed him my duffel bag.

"Room 1120," he said casually as he strolled around the car, handed the guy a $10 bill and then grabbed my hand and led me inside. When we walked into the lobby, I stopped for a moment and just stared. It was honestly one of the nicest hotels I had ever been in; then again, I hadn't been in that many. The lobby was filled with all sorts of ornate and oversized furniture, there were beautiful paintings covering the walls and a ton of staff dressed impeccably.

"It's just a lobby Bella," said Edward as he squeezed me hand and pulled me forward. "Let's go enjoy some dinner, what do you say?"

I nodded my head slowly and started walking again. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I kept turning my head and staring at all the exquisite details that covered the hotel. When we got to the hostess at the front of the restaurant, she just nodded her head, apparently she had already met Edward.

"How much planning went into this?" I asked curiously as we followed her through the restaurant.

"Not that much actually," he said, as I followed him into the private dining room. She put our menus down on the table and then he held my seat out for me, politely. I prompted sat down and raised my eyebrows in question, knowing full well that he was lying. "Seriously, Bella. Carlisle's got an old friend who is the main concierge here. I left him a message last night and he did everything."

"When did you have time to call him?" I asked again.

"I called him when you headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed," he admitted carelessly. "After you agreed to go out with me." I had left him in the room for about 10 minutes, but I just figured he was playing on the computer. I wasn't about to complain though, since this was the fanciest place I had ever gone in my entire life. We were both quiet for a bit as we scanned the menu, trying to decide what we wanted.

"Edward," I said anxiously. "I have no idea what any of the stuff is on the menu. I think I have recognized three words: Rabbit, Mustard and Beef." I laughed nervously and he just shook his head.

"What do you want to have for dinner Bella?" he asked casually as he looked back down at the menu.

"Umm… how about a steak, with some sort of regular vegetable and a salad?" I asked optimistically.

"Define regular vegetable?" he snickered.

"I don't do parsnips, what are they anyways? They just look like albino carrots. If I can't pronounce it, I'm not likely to eat it. I'm partial to potatoes, carrots, broccoli, green beans, that sort of thing."

"Consider it done," he said as he nodded his head still laughing at me. When the waiter arrived a few minutes later, he ordered for both of us. He seemed so formal, like he was trying to impress me. At this point, I was far beyond needing to be impressed. We could be sitting at home in my room eating Macaroni & Cheese and I would be ecstatic.

The dinner seemed to sail by rather quickly. Before I knew it, Edward was ordering some sort of chocolate dessert and requesting it be delivered to our room as soon as possible. The waiter just nodded his head as Edward paid for the meal and we decided to head up to our room. We took our time getting up to the room because I wanted to see more of the hotel, and he was all too willing to show me. When we got there, Edward seemed nervous again, frustrated even. He dropped the key on the floor twice before he finally got the door open. When we finally walked in, the room was even more beautiful than the rest of the hotel, if that was even possible.

I wandered around with my mouth wide open as Edward went to the large window to see the view of the entire city. The dessert he had ordered was already sitting in the middle of the living room on the coffee table. There was one main bedroom, with the biggest bed I had ever seen in my entire life, and it was covered with the most throw pillows I had seen outside of Bed, Bath and Beyond. The duffle bag with my clothes was sitting right on top of it. I continued looking around the room and found 2 huge bathrooms.

"Who needs one bed and two bathrooms?"I shouted excitedly to Edward. He still hadn't moved from his spot in front of the window. "This place is fucking bigger than the main floor of our house." Still no response. "Hello, Earth to sexy guy" I said as I walked over to stand beside him. He wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me close and continued to stare out at the wonderful view of Seattle. When I had first moved here, Charlie insisted we drive to Seattle one day and visit the Space Needle. I think he thought it was something I would be interested in. It wasn't, but the view from the very top was spectacular. Of course, seeing it at night, with Edward by my side was one hundred times better.

"What are you thinking?" I finally managed to ask, trying to break the slightly uncomfortable silence that surrounded the room. He walked me over to the oversized, but extremely comfortable couch and we sat down together. I nuzzled my head onto his shoulder and slid my legs up on the couch beside me, pulling off my shoes to make myself completely relaxed.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am and how beautiful you are," he said as he kissed the top of my head and started running his fingers through my hair. I was about to say something in response, when I felt his hand run down my head and gently rub the back of my neck, I turned slightly to look at him and he spoke first, "I love you"

**Edward POV**

From the look on her face, I could tell Bella was thinking _it's about fucking time_, but she didn't say anything of the sort. Instead she leaned her face towards mine and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I love you too" she confessed eagerly. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her up gently, placing her down on my lap so that she was straddling me. The hem on her dress slid up till it was practically around her waist. My jacket and tie came off the moment we walked into the room earlier. I'm not one for dressing up, so I was fucking desperate to get out of them. Right now I was just as desperate to get Bella out of her clothes. She pushed her face forward, into my neck, and began covering me in small, tender kisses. As my hands were gently rubbing her back, I found the zipper of her dress and pulled it down slowly, waiting for a reaction from Bella. There was none. She was clearly too focused on kissing me, and pushing her hips down onto mine.

I took my tongue and ran it slowly down her neck towards her collarbone, stopping frequently to kiss her softly. I tenderly touched her shoulders and started pulling the straps down, so that the top of her dress was almost off. She leaned back slowly, away from my chest, and grabbed the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head in one quick swoop and throwing it onto a chair on the other side of the room. I was pleasantly surprised by what was awaiting me under her dress.

"Do you like?" she asked happily as she stood up from my lap and did a little turn in the living room. She was standing there with her hand on her hip in nothing but a small black lace panty and bra set. It left nothing to the imagination and was practically see through because the pattern of the lace was so wide. I nodded my head slowly and tried to calm my excitement down._ If I kept going at this pace, we'd be done in two minutes_, I thought to myself.

All of a sudden, Bella had disappeared from the room. I wandered back and found her lying on the bed, waiting patiently for me. She had removed all of the throw pillows and turned the bed down. She looked so beautiful sitting there, waiting for me that I wanted to just jump right on her, but I stood frozen to my spot. She crawled over to where I stood beside the edge of the bed and pulled herself up on her knees and started unbuttoning my shirt sensually. Every time she undid a button, she would lean forward and kiss my chest. Once she had slid the shirt off of me and onto the floor, she started working on removing my belt and pants.

When I was finally standing before her in just my boxers and a smile, she leaned back on the bed and propped herself up onto her elbows, motioning with her fingers for me to come join her. I slowly climbed onto the bed and wrapped my arm around her back, supporting myself up with one hand and bent forward, kissing right between her breasts. I slowly pulled the fabric of her bra down so that it was cupping her breast and began kissing and nibbling gently on her nipples, alternating between each luscious breast. Bella was moaning in sheer pleasure from the touch of my mouth and tongue, and I was in absolute heaven.

I pulled my hand out from behind her back and reached down between her legs, dying to rub her sweet folds with my fingers. I kept my mouth glued to her breasts, as I found her legs spread beneath me and her panties already soaked from excitement. I bent back onto my knees for a moment, and wrapped my fingers around the waist of her panties, pulling them from her slowly. When they were finally free, she just laid in front of me looking absolutely stunning. I ran my fingers gently up her slit and her reaction drove me over the edge.

"Fuck, Edward," she moaned hoarsely as my fingers found her clit. I leaned forward quickly and started kissing her lips with even more passion than I knew possible. My hands fumbled to pull my boxers from my massively hard cock and once they were finally on the floor, I couldn't wait to be inside of her. I balanced my weight with one hand as I positioned my entire body over her, with my hard shaft right at her wet lips.

I tilted forward again, this time so my lips were right against her ear and pushed gently inside of her, feeling her grip me tightly. The moment I was completely in her, she wrapped her legs around my waist to hold me closer. I stopped moving my hips and whispered in her ear "I love you with every fiber of my being Isabella Swan."

We continued our love making for the rest of the night and ended up falling asleep around four in the morning. When I finally woke up, it was from the sound of my cell phone ringing in the distance. I crawled out of bed, not wanting to disturb Bella from her comfortable sleep and went to answer it. _Fucking Alic_e.

"What do you want Alice?" I asked groggily as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Did you have a nice night big brother?" she asked as she laughed confidently.

"It was great Alice. Now what do you want?" I remarked in frustration, while still trying to keep my voice down.

"I ordered some flowers from the hotel florist, for Bella from you, so they should be arriving soon. I used your credit card. I just wanted to give you a heads up," she said happily before she hung up on me. Not two minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. Bella still hadn't moved. I grabbed one of the bathrobes from behind the bedroom door and quickly answered it. A pimply faced kid who about was 15 stood there with a small bouquet of roses. I gave him a small tip and he left as quickly as he had come.

When I looked at the flowers, I tried to wonder if there was any significance to the fact that there were only four of them. Not six, or twelve, like you usually found with flowers. I figured Bella probably wouldn't care anyways, so I stopped analyzing it. When I walked back into the bedroom, flowers in hand, Bella was starting to wake up. Her entire face lit up when she saw me holding the flowers out for her.

"Awww… you think of everything Edward," she said as she reached out and grabbed the bouquet from me. _I owe Alice even more for this romantic move_, I thought to myself. "But why only four flowers?" she asked curiously as she titled her head forward to smell them.

"One for every time we made love last night," I said easily. It wasn't actually the truth, but I didn't know why Alice got four, so it was the best reason I had. She placed the flowers down gently on the nightstand, rushing forward to kiss me passionately and push the bathrobe from my body. _I think I might need more flowers._


End file.
